With vehicle volume high, traffic crawls; rule-breakers often get away without so much as a reprimand
A biker breaches the barricade, set up to regulate traffic, near Currey Road bridge. Pics/Datta Kumbhar
The ward has for long been plagued by three perennial problems: traffic snarls, narrow roads and late night festivities. Since it has a large number of corporate offices, it sees a high volume of vehicles at any given time. Combine this with multiple one-ways and narrow roads, and you have a traffic nightmare on your hands. Despite the presence of traffic constables, most roads groan under the weight of incessant jams for most hours of the day. During the monsoon, Parel sees severe waterlogging. The ward also has a large number of decades-old chawls, each housing 50-200 families.
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Motorists and pedestrians jostle for space near the ward office at Parel junction
Baleful bridges: Residents claim that rather than helping out commuters, road overbridges in the ward are a bane. A prime example of this is the Currey Road bridge, which sees sluggish traffic all through the day. During Ganesh Chaturthi, this bridge is turned into a one-way to allow smooth traffic flow, but adamant bikers, on the lookout for shortcuts, force their way in through barricades. Traffic on the adjoining bridge outside Parel station, too, is as just as bad; commutes take over half an hour to cover the stretch.
Traffic troubles: Multiple one-ways force commuters to take longer routes. Traffic slows down to a crawl from 6 pm-9 pm on weekdays near Parel junction, Currey Road bridge, and the road outside Chinchpokli station. Commuters are often caught in a vicious cycle — frequent congestions mean a large number of vehicles are plying, which further choke traffic.
Festive fervour: The ward doesn’t hold back when it comes to loud, in-your-face festivities. Some of the grandest Ganesha idols can be found in Parel. Besides, a larger number of smaller households and housing societies celebrate with equal zeal. Regardless of the scale of festivities, blaring speakers are a given, even late into the night.
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