Residents write to traffic department officials over rise in accidents near Wockhardt Hospital junction due to lack of adequate signage
The old pavement along the main road is illegally used for parking
A month after a young biker died in an accident near the Wockhardt Hospital junction at Agripada, local residents have come together to protest against the lack of a much-needed traffic signal in the area. Locals said that they had filed several complaints with the traffic department, but to no avail. Residents alleged that accidents in the area have also increased due to factors such as broken dividers, unauthorised parking along the lanes and the dearth of adequate traffic signage. Agripada locals have now written to the traffic department about their daily traffic woes and requested the authorities to install a traffic signal at the junction.
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(From left) Residents Saqueeb Jariwala, Afzal Choudhary, Ahmad Namazi and Cyril Dara point to a spot where the bike accident had taken place a month ago
The issues
The spot where most of the accidents take place, according to locals, is the junction where Red Cross Street meets Dr Anandrao Nair Marg. Speaking to mid-day, one of the residents, Ahmad Namazi, said, "Several lanes, often narrow ones, merge into the main Dr Anandrao Nair Marg road from various sides. Due to the lack of signage or a traffic signal, most motorists on the main road miss the oncoming vehicles from these lanes, which results in accidents. Even if the vehicles don't crash or bump into other vehicles, enduring frequent screeches of emergency brakes has become like a routine for us. It affects our sleep, too."
Some residents have alleged that the area has become more congested ever since the Wockhardt Hospital was built near the junction. "Also, the divider along the main road is broken. Several two wheelers take random U-turns from these spaces, which leads to further chaos," said Cyril Dara, another resident.
Pavement troubles
Residents also blame the widening of roads for the increase in the number of accidents. "Recently, the authorities widened the main road such that they completely ignored the old pavement lining the road and created a new footpath. Now, motorists use the old pavement to park their cars, right in the midst of this busy patch," said Klassic Tower resident, Afzal Choudhary. Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner (Traffic), said, "Yes, we are looking into the concerns raised by residents of Agripada."
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