Kurla Accident Exposes What Went Wrong: Why Traffic Planning Has Been Ignored For Decades

The recent accident in Kurla has shed light on several critical issues affecting the area's traffic management and development. Key reasons for the ongoing problems include delays in widening the CST route, lax crowd control measures, negligence from public representatives, poor transport planning, and the failure to implement the long-awaited development plans, according to the Lokmat report.

Kurla Bajbajpuri, a vast area stretching from the station to CST Road, has now become a focal point due to the tragic accident. Despite being a key route connecting the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Yadav Mandai, the area has long been plagued by congestion. There is a provision in the development plan aimed at alleviating this traffic strain, but this plan has remained unexecuted for the past four decades.

Photo Credit: PTI

The lack of attention from local corporators, MLAs, and MPs to the issue has led to the persistence of obstacles along S. G. Barve Road. Although the road has been widened in some areas through a slum rehabilitation project, many huts still line the side of the road near the accident site, further impeding traffic flow.

Jitendra Gupta, a founding member of the Citizen Transport Committee (CTC), has criticised in the report that the municipal administration for failing to remove encroachments and hawkers, which continue to contribute to the congestion. Gupta also pointed out that 'vote bank' politics have played a significant role in neglecting the issue since 1980. He had raised concerns about overcrowding, traffic planning, and the encroachment of roads long before, even proposing ideas to manage pedestrian traffic between Kurla railway station and the nearby metro station at Halav Pul. However, these suggestions were ignored.

Further complicating the situation, the Bombay High Court had ordered that all roads in the city should include footpaths on both sides based on their width. Yet, Barve Road, where the accident occurred, lacks a footpath entirely. Gupta believes that if a footpath had been in place, the number of casualties would have been much lower. Additionally, despite the road's heavy use, there is no central divider to separate traffic lanes, which is a basic safety measure.

The area's traffic problems are exacerbated by the vegetable market and hawkers on the side of the road. Redeveloping Yadav Mandai to ease the congestion was crucial, but critics argue that the municipal corporation has failed to act on this necessity, leading to a continued lack of progress and worsening traffic conditions in the area.