Bikers need to understand why they’re banned on bridges

Good signage on all bridges, elevated roads, overpass, connectors, call it what you will, is vital. These must be very visible. Lighting is of paramount importance

The traffic police have banned two-wheelers and autos on the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) connector. The 1.6-km elevated road was opened in November 2019. The connector links the business district of BKC with the Sion Panvel Highway. A notification by the traffic police department stated that in view of the fast and free flow of traffic on both sides of the bridge, entry to these vehicles has been permanently banned.

A report in this paper cites how the police is wary about accidents and in light of that, banned these vehicles from the bridge. There has been discontent from two-wheeler riders who are banned on some new bridges in Mumbai. A traffic expert has said in the report that he supports the ban on two wheelers but not on auto rickshaws, As the discontent simmers and debate goes on, we must emphasise that bans or no bans, we are looking at bridges from the larger picture of road safety. Let authorities see that these new connectors are made from superlative material. Connectivity is a good thing, but put quality above that. This city has a record and nobody needs to be reminded how new roads tend to fall apart, or develop huge, sink-or-swim potholes, a few contractors are blacklisted or penalised, some conciliatory noises are made, and we are back to Square One.

Good signage on all bridges, elevated roads, overpass, connectors, call it what you will, is vital. These must be very visible. Lighting is of paramount importance.

People need to respect rules. We have seen bikers on certain bridges where signage at the start mentions no two-wheelers allowed. Taking a U-turn in the middle of a bridge is a death wish, not just for the driver but others, too.

Rather than blame games and grumbling, focus solely on how the traffic dept, authorities and public can make these connectors safe, safer, safest.

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