MUMBAI: With 29 bridges shut across the city, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held an emergency meeting on Wednesday and ordered a multipronged strategy to reduce road congestion and inconvenience to motorists during monsoon.
The CM directed the BMC to ban private parking in crowded and market areas within 5 km of the shut bridges wherever BEST can provide free bus service so that motorists are not inconvenienced by such a parking ban. To ensure motorists are also not caught off-guard by closure of bridges or diversions, the traffic police have been told to develop a mobile app, incorporating Google Map, that can suggest alternate routes by showing even temporary closures or diversions.
Meanwhile, the Matunga-based VJTI has been roped in to study if any of the closed bridges can be partially reopened for light vehicles, temporarily, after strengthening them through concrete overlay. And to speed up such work, the BMC commissioner has been delegated special powers by evoking the Disaster Management Act, to avoid procedural delay in repair and reconstruction of bridges.
The BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar who was part of the meeting told TOI that parking will be banned in crowded or market areas near closed bridges to avoid chaos and congestion during rains.
Traffic police app to alert motorists of temporary diversions, closures
CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday asked BMC and BEST to identify locations near shut bridges where BEST can start special point-to-point free bus service so that private vehicle parking can be banned within 5 km radius, BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar said. “Motorists can park their vehicles away and use free bus service to reach market places,” Shelar said.
About the traffic police app, Shelar pointed out how many a time motorists learn about a road turn being closed temporarily only on reaching the spot. “To avoid this type of inconvenience, traffic police will develop a mobile app to alert motorists about road closures and alternative routes well in advance,” he added.
BJP MLA Ameet Satam who was also present at the meeting said there are efforts to see if some of the closed bridges can be partially reopened without compromising on safety. “We want to see if some bridges can be opened for light vehicles through concrete overlay,” he said. Satam said VJTI has already taken samples of concrete layer of some bridges and the test reports should be out in a few days.
VJTI is currently re-auditing the Juhu
Tara Road and the Oshiwara bridge. Additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal said he has asked VJTI officials to re audit a few of the bridges that are crucial connectors. “Considering the safety of public, we have shut many bridges, but we are also trying our best to look for a solution,” he said.
One of the other points discussed in the meeting was the need to invite bids for demolition and reconstruction of all the dilapidated bridges. A total of 29 bridges and foot over-bridges have been declared dangerous- while eight have been razed and 14 closed, seven are still in use.
Consequently, the Disaster Management Act has been invoked for speedy reconstruction of the bridges. According to section 30 (2) (v) of the Disaster Management Act, the district authority can give directions to local authorities to take measures for prevention or mitigation of disasters.
