Navi Mumbai traffic police blame CIDCO, JNPT & National Highway authority for traffic congestion in Uran

The road to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) clogged with lengthening truck lines leading to long freight delays is an everyday phenomenon. The Navi Mumbai traffic police have blamed the heavy truck buildup on planning authorities like CIDCO, JNPT port and other government godowns and private companies operating in Uran area, for not providing parking facilities to heavy vehicles, causing heavy traffic congestion on the National Highway, leading to accidents.

In an affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court, Assistant Police Commissioner (Traffic), Arun Patil states, "I say that Panvel-JNPT and GawanPhata to KaralPhata highway section, there are 80% to 90% movement of heavy vehicles is towards BPCL Company, CFS, Yard. The parking arrangements required for such a quantity of heavy vehicles are not made by the facility operators / JNPT administration /Highway Establishment and/or planning authorities. The traffic police has made several correspondence on the said issue."

The affidavit also mentions that "...there are 22 CFS and other Godown / container yards in the area of Uran traffic branch.The CIDCO Administration has made available the facility to the CFS / Godown. But it is insufficient for the large volume of the incoming traffic approaching the CFS/Yard/Godown in the locality.The large number of heavy transport vehicles have to wait on to road network till they get entry inside the facilities. The unexpected traffic jams and the parking is largely caused in process of waiting to enter into the CFS/Yard/Godown facilities."

In the affidavit, Patil had blamed the planning authorities of not coordinating with the traffic department. It says, "JNPT administration, CFS/Godown/ Companies and such operators do not have any co-ordination with the traffic police to intimate the higher volume of traffic and no advance plan can be drawn to keep tab on piling number of heavy vehicles in a particular stretch."

A division bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice G S Kulkarni have asked Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni to appear before the court on Wednesday and address the issue. It said, "Larger planning is required and planning authoritys should step in develop the area properly." The bench has also asked the state to update the court about its plans to upgrade a rural hospital in Uran to meet the growing demand of the local population.

In the last 10 years, around 1,000 residents of nearby villages have met with fatal accidents, involving heavy vehicles on the route.

The direction was given while hearing a petition filed by Uran Samajik Sanstha, which in its plea has claimed that NH348 (erstwhile NH 4B) and NH348A (erstwhile SH54) witnesses traffic congestion due to parking of heavy vehicles along the highway. Due to lack of service road, to be used by light vehicles, many accidents take place.

The plea filed through Advocate Priyanka Thakur also said that there is no multi-speciality hospital in Uran and the government is duty-bound to provide basic infrastructure facilities to handle heavy traffic, like providing signals, signages and deployment of police personnel on roads connecting Uran City to Panvel, Kalamboli and Navi Mumbai.

TRAIL OF TRUCKS

A swift intervention by the port administration and planning authorities is needed to address the lengthening lines of vehicles

OFFENCES ON RISE

26,585 traffic offences between January and September

3,802 offences registered for illegal parking on National Highway

96 heavy vehicle drunk driving offences

36 cases of driving the wrong way

33 number of fatal accidents in 2017

39 number of major accidents