Massive traffic jam on Vashi Toll bridge - Now cleared

[Venkat]

Folks,

This just in.

Today at about 8.30 am or so, a lady was killed by a speeding Honda city car at Vashi Village signal which is after the Vashi toll naka but before the bridge if you are coming from Navi Mumbai.

Seems that this was the second such death and the villagers gathered in large numbers and burnt the car in question. They also smashed the windscreens of a number of buses and other vehicles.

Traffic is at a standstill on both sides and backed up in all the adjoining areas. The police are out in large numbers.

If anyone is headed in that direction please tell them to consider alternative routes.

Venkat

PS: I hope this is the correct forum for this kind of posts.

[Venkat]

Information has just come in, that the traffic is now clear on Vashi toll bridge after the cops stepped in.

Things are quickly coming back to normal.

Venkat

[normally_crazy]

Yes Venkat. Roads have been cleared and traffic is back to normal. Thank God. But the point remains here - why burn the car ?

A few years back these residents of Vashi Gaon , staged rasta rokos at the very spot the accident took place. Why ? because they wanted the govt. to build them a subway to cross the highway. The subway was built and thrown open to public about 2 years back. And till today it lies unused !! No one from that Vashi Gaon bothers to use it. All they do is run across the defunct signal, crazily , haphazardly avoiding speeding trucks / cars et all

So who's to blame ?

[Venkat]

NC,
I agree with you. Today it seems that the issue was of the speed breaker at the signal which was removed due to HC orders.

Seems they were agigating for restoring the same. But what about their own rickshaws / motorcycles which cross the road in the most brazen manner.

In fact the entire decision to shift the toll naka towards the bridge is because of the indiscipline of the gaonwallos since they were avoiding the tolls by taking shortcuts.

But mob psychology is mob psychology. Who is to argue?

Venkat

[porsche_fan]

I wont be too surprised to see the speed breaker restored.these guys always influence such decisions as they constitute the major percentage of the vote bank! And we all know to what extent our politicians will go just to stay in power and appease the mob. Even if it means doing totally impractical things. An example is the traffic light on the WE highway just after the Andheri Flyover ends, when going from andheri towards town. Its very frustating having to brake/slow down on such a road just because an overbridge/subway doesnt exist. And it usually causes traffic jams in the morning and during rush hour which is even more frustating. Whats the point in having a highway with so many flyovers if the purpose with which its built is not served??!!

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by Venkat

Seems they were agigating for restoring the same. But what about their own rickshaws / motorcycles which cross the road in the most brazen manner.

Yes , these days people drive on the wrong side of the road from just after the bridge till Vashi Gaon to save 25 Rs. !!

In fact the entire decision to shift the toll naka towards the bridge is because of the indiscipline of the gaonwallos since they were avoiding the tolls by taking shortcuts.

I dread the day when this new toll naka becomes operational. Just imagine - a traffic jam on the bridge( going towards Vashi) stretching right across to the other end I'm getting nightmares already.

[Venkat]

Porsche:
Good points. At least as far as the speedbreakers are concerned, it will not be built again after the high court ruling.

Thank god, at least the courts are working in our country even though they often move like our city traffic. ( Couldn't resist that one )

But it took Chaggan Bhujbal to have his knees damaged for the govt to go after the speedbreakers.

As far as traffic lights are concerned they are another mess. Especially pedestrian 'only' crossings on highways.


Venkat

[Venkat]

NC,

The toll naka moving decision is again an expenditure of public money because discipline cannot be enforced on a few wrong doers.

Venkat

[nitinhegde]

I was a victim of the traffic jam near the same spot...was travelling from Pune to Mumbai Airport....was stuck in traffic jam for 2 hours...just made it in time 45 min before the flight...had some very anxious moments

[adya33]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Yes Venkat. Roads have been cleared and traffic is back to normal. Thank God. But the point remains here - why burn the car ?

"Aapne Baap ka kya jata hai?" attitude

[satish_appasani]

Originally Posted by adya33

"Aapne Baap ka kya jata hai?" attitude

And to satisfy their own saddistic desire.

[amit]

India is the only country in the world where citizens demand speedbreakers to solve traffic issues! If there is a subway then pedestrain signal being defunct makes sense. Anyone darting across the road in that event should do at his/her own risk. That should be the policy but then this is India. Here if you don't have a car then you are special. Poor people believe they do a favour on the government by being poor. The general belif is car owners have cars because they exploited the poor people. Decades of Nehru-Gandhi socialism and "poor guy is angel, rich guy is bas****" hindi movies have inculcated this philosophy into our people big time.

There is some conflicitng news about what happened. Mid-day reports that the woman was injured and hasn't died and NMMC officials immediately ordered the construction of a speedbreaker at that spot.

As for burning the car, high time car owners united in such events and burned down a few houses of these people. Maybe then they will realise why it's stupid to burn and destroy other people's properties but then knowing our garibon ke daata governement, they may rebuild a more luxurious house for these "poor" people from our tax money!

Moral of the Story: When in India, no matter how smooth the highway and no matter how little the vehicle and/or pedestrain traffic. Always drive at 50Kmph.

[Rtech]

Well said amit (except the burning of houses part!!).

Moral of the Story: When in India, no matter how smooth the highway and no matter how little the vehicle and/or pedestrain traffic. Always drive at 50Kmph.

Amen!

[Venkat]

I just got back from Pune last night and was reading the Mumbai papers about his incident.

Looks like the speedbreakers got built at double speed inspite of a court judgement to the contrary.

When the mobs are out there, legalities be damned. Both by law breakers and the ( supposed ) law keepers.

And a pedestrian subway is languishing for want of users.


Venkat

[normally_crazy]

3 hours - the time it took for the hugeee speedbreaker size rumbler strips to come up.

The story goes - Villagers allowed traffic movement ONLY after the speedbreaker was built. And the NMMC and Traffic cops did it in 3 hours !

Also a pedestrian crossing was painted , which is manned by a traffic cop now. Also 3 cops are stationed near the burnt remains of the car.

What a system we have in place here, bah ! Next time I want to break the signal, I'll go on rampage , break glasses of a few vehicles if stopped and get away scott free under police protection. Amazing what people can get away with.