Mumbai: P D’Mello Road, a long arterial north-south access road, connecting the Eastern Freeway and Colaba Causeway, now suffers the extra burden from the newly opened Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also known as Atal Setu. To keep it congestion-free, the traffic police have made the road into a no-parking zone by manually operating the signals during peak hours.
According to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which manages the MTHL, the average daily ridership has touched 30,000 and a toll of ₹61 lakh has been collected in just 10 days. On full use, nearly 70,000 vehicles are expected to take the link.
Vehicles Converge On P D'mello Road
The vehicles coming from Navi Mumbai towards South Mumbai (SoBo) aren’t the only ones converging at P D’Mello Road. Another crucial route, the Eastern Freeway, brings traffic from the Eastern Express Highway, too.
“With the traffic growing three times, it’s difficult to maintain the flow; else, the entire SoBo will come to a standstill. It can get worse with even buses plying on the route. This made us decide that the stretch shouldn’t have any parking on both sides,” said a senior traffic police official, adding that a ‘rider’ or a traffic police vehicle is constantly patrolling the road to inspect.
Traffic Police Manually Handle Signals To Control Congestion
The traffic police are also manually managing the signals, increasing or reducing the time any signal is red. “This is mostly followed based on the need of the hour. The southbound flow is heavier in the morning so the signals are made shorter. The adjacent routes, for example the GPO signal, are a little longer during the evening hours as vehicles from CSMT join P D’Mello Road,” the official said, adding that they coordinate through wireless devices to manage the congestion.
On Wednesday, the FPJ team visited P D’Mello Road but found parking on the side of the road towards SoBo. An official said, “We cannot force or threaten people all the time. We have erected no-parking boards and also tow vehicles away. Moreover, shopkeepers and residents park their vehicles on the road as they don’t have other space. We have to let go as long as there is no jam.”
