As Mumbai boasts of the Atal Setu, Coastal Road, Bandra-Worli Sea Link and all other future metro construction and roadway projects, the city is crumbling in traffic. As people head to work, they spend more time getting to work than those travelling by train. It begs the question, is all this development worth it, at the cost of one’s health?
Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: Mid-day file pic
Mumbaikar Anushna Attavar travels from Lalbaug to her office in Andheri East daily, but it has never been smooth. While other Mumbaikars travel by the well-connected local train, she is busy getting road transport to her destination, which is supposed to be the better option. She expresses, "Kaali-peeli taxis don't even stop to ask where you're headed, and if they ask - eventually they will respond with ‘Bohot trafficwala road hai’ and will not go. Even the roads are plagued with heavy traffic and unnecessary potholes that make it difficult to travel by road in Mumbai.” The city-based publicist’s journey to the office should not take more than 40-45 minutes a day, but how much time does she spend on the road? Easily anywhere between 1 hour to 90 minutes, which is almost double the time. “There are significant bottlenecks near Santacruz and Dadar, but it seems like no one notices,” she adds.