Mumbai: The traffic police’s barricade disaster

An experiment by the Vakola Traffic Police Division on the Western Express Highway at Vile Parle in an attempt to ease traffic congestion on Tuesday ended up giving thousands of commuters a harrowing time The traffic police blocked the road under the Vile Parle bridge preventing direct access from WEH to domestic airport on the southbound side Passengers headed to the airport from Andheri Borivli etc were told to go upto Vakola from the Vile Parle bridge to take a Uturn to reach itMany residents of Vile Parle East also abandoned their autos and taxis and had to walk home under the bridge as they too were asked to go upto Vakola and turn back The experiment from 7 am to 130 pm blocked the entire road on the Western Express Highway from the T1 terminal of the domestic airport to Vile Parle bridge Vehicles exiting T1 on WEH were redirected under the Vile Parle bridge and vehicles coming from Andheri Borivli etc to Vile Parle were forced to use the flyover and go upto Vakola and then come backA traffic constable Kishor Meher who had been deployed at the spot from 7 am explained the experiment He said ldquoConstruction of the Metro bridge is in progress parallel to the Vile Parle bridge and four lanes have been turned into two lanes This is causing traffic congestion at this spot affecting the Western Express Highway To ease the traffic we blocked this exit at Vile Parle for vehicles coming from WEH They were diverted onto the bridge and had to take a Uturn from Vakola signal to go to the domestic airport We blocked this exit on the order of our Senior PI It was an experiment to alleviate trafficrdquo Many other traffic wardens assisted him and requested passengers not to stop their vehicles on WEHlsquoWill cost morersquoA woman got off an auto at the spot and told midday ldquoI reside at Hanuman Nagar in Vile Parle East I cannot go all the way to Vakola and then return as it will cost me morerdquo She walked under the bridge to go home A male passenger also got off an auto at the spot He said ldquoI am already late for office and now this road is blocked I have to walk all the way to office Due to this exit closure traffic has increased all the way to the Goregaon flyoverrdquoEven local residents of Vile Parle travelling in autos were told to go upto Vakola and return PicAnurag AhireA man who was driving a fourwheeler and wanted to go to the airport said ldquoMy relatives are waiting outside the airport Due to the traffic from Goregaon I have reached Vile Parle late and now I find that I have to go all the way to Vakola for a Uturn and come back from the Westbound side to reach the domestic airport This is harassment by the traffic policerdquoAnother man who was to drop off his family at the airport was seen requesting a traffic cop to remove the barricade and allow him to go He said ldquoMy family is with me and I want to reach the airport as soon as possible to drop them there But as the exit is closed I have to go all the way to Vakola and come back There is no traffic under the bridge so I dont understand why the traffic cops are doing thisrdquo Many twowheeler riders were seen defying the traffic police and passing under the rope tied to the barricadesA passenger speaks to a traffic policeman during the blockadeOfficial speakSenior Inspector Sandeep Yele of the Vakola Traffic Police Division said ldquoIt was just an experiment we conducted on Tuesday morning to ease traffic We have now reopened the route for vehicles The construction of the Metro bridge is in progress parallel to the Vile Parle bridge on the southbound side and this is causing traffic congestion at this spot We are managing the traffic but it is affecting the Western Express Highway all the way to Goregaonrdquo7am130pmThe duration for which the road was blocked