Mumbai: Coastal Road sees most traffic between 3 pm and 4 pm

Traffic at Worli seaface on Friday evening. Pic/Sameer Markande

The number of motorists using the partially open Coastal Road grew from 16,331 on Tuesday, the day vehicles were allowed on it for the first time, to 22,880 on Friday, a 40 per cent increase. Interestingly, the highest traffic count on all days is seen between 3 pm and 4 pm and not the morning peak hours when overall southbound in the city is at its peak.

The southbound lanes of the Coastal Road from Worli to Marine Lines are open to commuters between 8 am to 5 pm from Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli and from 8 am to 8 pm from other entry points like Copper Chimney restaurant and Amarsons Garden. On the first day, a little more than 16,000 vehicles took to the road. The number increased by around 10 per cent every day and reached over 22,000 on Friday. The road will be closed on weekends so that the remaining work of the Coastal Road can be completed within the timeline.

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On Tuesday, 1,947 vehicles, entering from all three intersections, were seen on the road between 3 pm and 4 pm. The maximum vehicular density was witnessed in the afternoon up to Friday. Generally, the southbound lanes experience peak hours in the morning while northbound roads see the most traffic in
the evenings.

"Though most traffic is seen in the afternoon, the next highest traffic hours are between 10 am to 12 pm, which is quite normal. We have screens in control rooms and even there is a physical inspection by traffic wardens. What we observed is the number increase in the afternoon is due to additional vehicles coming for joyrides. Sometimes three to four vehicles full of passengers drove through together," said a civic official attached to the Coastal Road project.

Another official said, "The number of vehicles has been increasing, which is a good sign. We will get a real number of vehicles in the next week when the joyrides slow down. Once the Worli and Haji Ali interchanges open, the traffic situation at Worli will improve and many more motorists will opt for the road."