BEST bus accident: A death foretold? Dadar residents say warnings went unheard

Passengers disembark from a BEST bus near Plaza Cinema in Dadar West. Residents have renewed calls for improved traffic and pedestrian safety measures at the congested junction following Monday’s fatal bus crash. Pic/Ashish Raje

Dadar residents, commuters, and local activists renewed calls for urgent traffic and pedestrian safety measures at one of central Mumbai's busiest junctions after the BEST bus crashed into multiple vehicles, killing one and injuring multiple people.

Locals say the junction around Plaza Circle and Veer Kotwal Garden has become increasingly chaotic over the past several months due to traffic diversions caused by the closure of the Elphinstone Road bridge and ongoing repair work on Tilak Bridge. The resulting bottlenecks, narrowed lanes and rising traffic volumes, they claim, have made the area unsafe for both motorists and pedestrians.

The latest crash has reignited concerns that repeated warnings from residents about the junction's safety have gone unaddressed.

Key traffic pressure points

>> Elphinstone Road bridge closure
>> Tilak Bridge repair work
>> Narrowed carriageways
>> Increased traffic diversions

Shopkeepers notice that...

>> Minor collisions have become common
>> Traffic snarls occur regularly
>> Congestion worsens during peak hours
>> Diversions have altered long-established traffic patterns

Activists Speak

Vaibhav Rege, member, Shivaji Park ALM
‘We had already made several suggestions long ago, such as improving lane discipline and pedestrian crossings, posting additional traffic marshals during peak hours, and strictly enforcing the penalty
for speeding. But the authorities always wait for someone to die'

Voice of residents

Manisha Naik, Dadar resident
‘The traffic volume has increased significantly. During peak hours, pedestrians struggle to cross the roads safely as vehicles move from multiple directions at the same time'

Meera Naik, 71, commuter
‘There are no traffic signals, but the sheer volume of vehicles often creates confusion and risky situations, especially for senior citizens and school children'