Potholes on Mumbai roads? Not if you are a VIP

mid-day does a test drive on the daily routes that some of our top officials take to work; our takeaway — when you are a VIP, even the roads are a lot more smoother

It’s no wonder that the authorities aren’t taking more active interest in Mumbai’s pothole problem. As far they’re concerned, potholes don’t even exist. Every day, the common man risks his life or, at the very least, his back, as he braves the crater-filled roads on the way to work. So, mid-day took a test drive to see what it’s like for the other 1% that actually holds the power to change things in the city. Our reporters and photographers picked four top officials and tracked their daily routes to work during the peak hour on Friday. Here’s what we learnt:

Chief Minister’s route
Who: CM Devendra Fadnavis
Starting from: Varsha bungalow, Malabar Hill
Going to: Mantralaya
Route: Malabar Hill – Girgaum Chowpatty – Marine Drive – Mantralaya
Start time: 9.50 am
End Time: 10.15 am
Distance: 7 km

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It was at the Mantralaya junction that the ride got bumpy because of potholes and uneven paver blocks. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Being chief minister sure has its perks. CM Devendra Fadnavis must cruise to work every day; there were hardly any potholes on his daily route from the queen of the island city — Malabar Hill — to the powerhouse of the city, which is Mantralaya. The road right outside the bungalow is made of asphalt or tar, like most roads in the city. Unlike all the other roads, however, this one didn’t have a single pothole and made for a smooth ride. The first sign of trouble was only when the cab hit the Teen Batti junction, where uneven paver blocks slowed down traffic towards Girgaum chowpatty. Upon moving ahead, the road was once again smooth, apart from negligible bumps that were not even felt. The only thing that slowed movement was the peak hour traffic jam. Ironically, it was the potholes and uneven paver blocks at the Mantralaya junction that gave a bumpy end to the ride.
Verdict: Hardly any potholes, slight traffic congestion

BMC commissioner’s route
Who: Ajoy Mehta
Starting from: Commissioner’s bungalow, Altamount Road
Going to: BMC headquarters, CST
Route: ML Dahanukar Marg – Peddar Road – Girgaum chowpatty – Princess Street flyover – Metro cinema – BMC
Start time: 10.30 am
End Time: 11.18 am
Distance: 6 km

Also Read: Mumbai: PWD repairs one crack on flyover, ignores another

The municipal commissioner has a fairly smooth ride to work, which ironically gets bumpy right outside the BMC HQ. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

So what if the BMC has failed to ensure pothole-free roads for the rest of Mumbaikars, as long as they manage to do it for the boss. The municipal commissioner has a fairly smooth ride to work. Although we found potholes on his route, they were few and far in between. The first pothole – more a crevice in the road – is situated quite close to the bungalow, on the junction of Dahanukar Marg and Peddar road. While it may give some trouble to bikers, the BMC chief’s car is unlikely to be bothered by this crack. However, there were a few craters on the stretch from Peddar road to Marine drive and Princess Street flyover, with the largest pothole on Princess Street. What really drove home the incompetence and utter apathy of the BMC, however, was the shabby condition of the road right outside the municipal headquarters.
Verdict: Few potholes, moderate peak hour traffic

Mayor’s route
Who: Mayor Snehal Ambekar
Starting from: Mayor’s bungalow, Shivaji Park
Going to: BMC Headquarters, CST
Route: Shivaji Park – Lower Parel station road – Delisle Road – Byculla – JJ flyover – CST
Start time: 11.10 am
End Time: 12.25 am
Distance: 13 km

Read Story: Mumbai: After saying no new paver blocks, BMC to uproot old ones too

While the mayor’s route has potholes, they are few and far between. Pic/Sameer Markande

Even the first citizen does not get first class roads in this city, as we found during our test drive. At least the road outside the Mayor’s bungalow is made of concrete, so there were no potholes there. However, uneven paver blocks caused a major issue at other points in the route. It took 85 minutes to cover the short distance of 13 km to the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai — had the roads and traffic movement been better, the same distance could have been covered in 30 minutes.
Verdict: This was the worst out of the four routes

Chief Justice’s route
Who: Justice Dhirendra Waghela
Starting from: Chief Justice House, Malabar Hill
Going to: Bombay High Court, Fort
Route: Malabar hill – Girgaum Chowpatty – Marine Drive – Flora Fountain – Bombay High Court
Start time: 9.47 am
End Time: 10.10 am
Distance: 7 km

There were hardly any potholes or traffic jams on the chief justice’s route to work. Pic/Bipin Kokate

There were hardly any potholes or traffic jams on the daily route that the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court takes to work, so we covered the 7 km within 23 minutes. Traffic kept moving, although it slowed down at certain spots. Like the CM, the Chief Justice likely faces trouble at the Teen Batti chowk, where the already sharp curve of the road is made worse by uneven paver blocks. That said, the road condition on this route is decent, when compared to the rest of the city. More than bad roads, what slowed us down were the nine signals on this 7-km stretch. Ahead of Pizza By The Bay, the road condition began to deteriorate and we witnessed uneven patches as well as potholes, which only increased as we took a right from the Fountain towards the high court.
Verdict: Decent roads, not much traffic

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