MUMBAI: The Mumbai Traffic Police are likely to permanently prohibit movement of motorcycles on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road (GMLR) flyover after a month-long ban resulted in zero crashes.
Heavy vehicles were banned right after inauguration of the bridge as a high-tension wire runs above it. Other stretches where motorcycles are not permitted to ply include JJ flyover, Eastern Freeway, Bandra-Worli Sealink and BKC-Chunabhatti connector.
"Two-wheeler riders have been flouting the ban for the past month as the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road flyover cuts travel time massively. If the traffic police intend to implement the ban, enforcement will have to be strict. Simultaneously, the stretch underneath the GMLR flyover, uneven in parts and filled with potholes, needs to be fixed so motorcyclists are not at risk.-TimesView"
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the GMLR flyover on August 1. By the end of the month, 30 crashes (seven of them major) were reported. Among them was a fatal mishap of timber trader Yusuf Khan on August 30.
Khan was seated pillion on a friend's motorcycle when it skidded and he was thrown off. On September 2, the traffic police came out with a notification restricting two wheelers, pedestrians and cyclists from using the bridge for a month, in addition to heavy vehicles that were already prohibited. While only light vehicles were allowed, some motorcyclists continued to flout the ban.
"We started a strict crackdown against those flouting the ban and more than 300 motorcyclists faced action within a week," said a police officer. The BMC simultaneously started work to make the flyover safer. "We carried out milling work besides placing speed breakers," said a civic official.
Signage was also placed. Rama Ramchandran, who lives a few yards away from the flyover, said traffic movement is better now compared to earlier. "There have been a series of text messages doing the rounds since the fatal mishap (of Khan) and that appears to have resulted in more cautiousness among motorists," she said.
"We are mulling a permanent prohibition on motorcycles as well as heavy vehicles on GMLR flyover as the month-long ban resulted favourably with zero crashes," said Baliram Dhas, senior inspector, Mankhurd traffic police. Two-wheeler riders criticised the decision as harsh. "The road beneath is now used for parking garbage trucks, dumping debris or for other activities. In some sections, the median is also used for parking. The condition of the road beneath the flyover is not at all safe for motorcyclists as it is uneven in some stretches and has potholes," said a regular biker.
Incidentally, the area is used extensively by heavy vehicles and some locals were hoping trucks would be allowed to ply on the GMLR flyover. "The BMC is expected to have qualified engineers who should have planned work anticipating that there is a high tension wire above the bridge. We were told during the construction stage of the flyover that vehicles going into the dumping ground would move smoothly once the bridge is ready," said Sharma. BMC needs to construct a pier at the location over which the high tension wire would go. They need an area of 225 sq meters which falls in the jurisdiction of the collector.
