The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started installing bollards on Baba Saheb Ambedkar Road footpaths in Dadar and Matunga to stop bikers from riding onto pedestrian spaces. The move follows complaints from residents, a traffic police request, and Mid-Day’s report
BMC installing bollards on footpath to restritct motorists' enrty
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday started work on redesigning the existing bollards on the footpaths of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Road, near the Dadar and Matunga areas. The bollards have been installed to restrict two-wheeler motorists from reaching the footpaths and jeopardising pedestrian safety.
BMC's work came in response to a letter written to the civic body's F/North ward office by the Matunga division of the Mumbai Traffic Police, following complaints from residents and subsequent follow-up by Mid-Day.
Mid-Day on Thursday, a reported on the issue, highlighting the safety hazards from unauthorised parking on footpaths and racing bikers on the footpaths in this area, which has among the widest footpaths in the city, close to 4 metres in width.
Residents of the area pointed out that since the Elphinstone Bridge has been demolished by the civic body, BA Road gets choked not only by traffic going towards the island city but also by motorists commuting from East to West Mumbai.
The congestion has augmented the problem of bikers trying to get up on the footpath to cut short their commute time by a few minutes. Even though there are 'no parking' boards installed by the civic body along all footpaths in the area, Mid-Day noticed during a spot visit on Tuesday that two-wheelers are parked along the footpath near Khodadad Circle and in Matunga.
The traffic police had highlighted 18 spots where riders take the footpath instead of the carriageway, seeking BMC's intervention in setting up zig-zag barricades. The work on this infrastructure started on Thursday morning.
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