Citizens’ insights can help authorities fix urban ills

A goods truck taking a U-turn just before the Kavi Keshavsut Flyover. Pic/Ashish Raje

In a joint initiative, the Dadar Traffic Division and the BMC have begun installing iron railings on the Kavi Keshavsut Flyover outside Dadar West railway station. The move aims to prevent vehicles from taking U-turns and alleviate persistent traffic jams. A day-long observation by mid-day revealed that the primary cause of traffic congestion at Dadar West is vehicles taking U-turns, according to a report in this paper.

Traffic police officials reported that 15 to 16 U-turns along the 2.5-kilometre stretch from Matunga to Dadar and Prabhadevi contribute significantly to these jams. To address the issue, authorities plan to reduce the number of U-turns to just four or five. Local shopkeepers and residents told mid-day they had witnessed numerous accidents at these junctions, often linked to vehicles making U-turns on the flyover.

It is important that authorities look at specific spots or situations that fuel traffic snarls and work on untying this knotty issue. A long-term resolution is called for instead of a quick fix that may not stand the test of time.

The authorities must turn to residents, shopkeepers and restaurateurs, who have a stake in their respective areas, to learn about problems before trying to arrive at solutions.

Locals have a comprehensive picture of problems witnessed in an area, knowledge of how the spot was before these issues emerged and how exactly these complications cause inconvenience or, in worst cases, fatalities.

Citizens' representatives or residents' spokespersons can be consulted when looking at solutions. While these are laypersons, their insights may prove valuable when coming up with a plan. The overarching aim, after all, is to resolve these problems.