According to reports, within a few days there was a 40 per cent increase in vehicles opting for the partially opened Coastal Road last week.
On Tuesday, March 12, the day that cars were first permitted on the partially open Coastal Road, there were 16,331 drivers utilising it. This number increased to 22,880 on Friday, March 15. It's interesting to note that the peak period for traffic on all days is from 3 to 4 pm and not during the morning rush hour when most southbound traffic peaks in the city.
Commuters can access the southbound lanes of the Coastal Road from Worli to Marine Lines from 8 am to 5 pm from the Worli end of the road (From Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk). Motorists can drive on the road from 8 am to 8 pm from other entrance points such as Amarsons Garden and Copper Chimney restaurant.
A little over 16,000 cars hit the partially opened Coastal Road on the first day. Every day, the figure rose by around 10%, and by the end of the week, it exceeded 22,000. In order to finish the remaining Coastal Road construction within the allotted time, the road will be closed on weekends.
Between 3 and 4 pm on the first day, 1,947 cars could be seen on the road, entering from all three intersections. The highest vehicle density on the accessible part of the Coastal Road was recorded on Friday afternoon. Generally the northbound roadways have the heaviest traffic in the evenings, while southbound lanes often see peak traffic in the morning on all routes of Mumbai.
A civic official who was associated with the project said that the next busiest hours are from 10 am to 12 pm, which is usual even though the afternoon hours represents the time most traffic is witnessed. In addition to physical inspections by traffic wardens, control rooms are equipped with screens. Their observations indicate that the afternoon surge in numbers is the result of more cars showing up for joyrides. Occasionally, a group of three or four passenger-filled cars crossed the road together.
Another civic official who is working on this project said that The fact that there are more cars on the road is encouraging. When the joyrides start to taper down, we will have a legitimate count of vehicles within the next week. The traffic at Worli will get better once the Haji Ali and Worli interchanges open, and a lot more cars will choose to take the route of Coastal Road.
Vehicular Movement On Coastal Road In Its Inaugural Week Was:
March 12 (Tuesday): 16,331
March 13 (Wednesday): 19,803
March 14 (Thursday): 20,090
March 15 (Friday): 22,880
Vehicular Movement On Coastal Road During 3 PM To 4 PM:
March 12 (Tuesday): 1,947
March 13 (Wednesday): 2,645
March 14 (Thursday): 2,460
March 15 (Friday): 2,809
Looking at the traffic movement, the police decided to increase the access hours of the road from Worli end. The traffic police now intends to lengthen the entry timings at this intersection in order to better manage traffic at Bindu Madhav Thackeray Junction on the Coastal Road. Instead of the prior 5 pm limit, commuters can now enter from the intersection until 8 pm.
About the new schedules, an official notification from the Mumbai Traffic Police is expected soon. Commuters travelling from Worli to Marine Lines in the evening will particularly benefit from extending the entry timings at the junction, Kumbhare added. Soon, they'll send out a notification to confirm the updated schedules.
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