Two-wheelers spotted on Eastern Freeway despite ban

A video grab shows a two-wheeler on the Eastern Freeway

Despite there being a ban on two-wheelers on the Eastern Freeway connecting South Mumbai and Chembur, bikers are seen taking the route and risking their lives.

On Monday, the Twitter account Mumbaimatterz tweeted, "No @MumbaiPolice presence on #EasternFreeway...Just look at the number of bikers riding on it. #RoadSafety." The account even posted a video of about 90 seconds taken from the window of a building adjacent to the freeway. It clearly shows two-wheelers taking the freeway to go towards South Mumbai.

According to the rules, heavy vehicles (except public buses), three-wheelers, two- wheelers, bullock carts, handcarts and pedestrians are not allowed on the 16.8 km-long freeway. In the past, cops have taken action against two-wheeler riders, who were found racing on the stretch at night.

"I travel between South Mumbai and Chembur daily and what surprises me is the fact that despite a ban on two-wheelers, bikers are often seen on the freeway. High-end CCTV cameras should be installed to catch the offenders," said motorist Vinod Patel. The freeway, which was constructed to reduce travel time between the suburbs and South Mumbai, was inaugurated in 2013 by then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. The stretch has reduced travel time from the earlier one hour to 20 minutes.

Speaking to mid-day, Transport Expert Jitendra Gupta said, "Two-wheelers are banned even on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd flyover, but many bikers take the route regularly. It is wrong to put a complete ban on a flyover or expressway just because there have been accidents in the past." Replying to the tweet, Mumbai Police tweeted, "We have informed the traffic branch for further action. (traffic helpline whatsapp no.8454999999)."