Clogged roads give residents sleepless nights

Mumbai: On-street parking and encroached footpaths on arterial roads in Elphinstone and Lower Parel have added to motorists’ woes since the closure of Delisle bridge on July 24. These clogged roads are also giving sleepless nights to local residents who fear they won’t be able to get out of their housing societies in an emergency situation.
Acharya Donde Marg, where KEM Hospital is located, links Elphinstone and P D’Mello Road.But it has been reduced to a single lane with cars, goods vehicles and ambulances parked on the road. “The pavement is encroached by hawkers and the monorail has already taken over a large part of the carriageway,” complained a local resident. “The authorities should have cleared the road before shutting Delisle bridge.”
Dainik Shivner Marg, behind St Regis Hotel in Lower Parel, is also clogged with parked vehicles. “After the bridge closure, most of the traffic passes through Dainik Shivner Marg and Senapati Bapat Road towards E Moses Road in Worli. There are several highrises on Dainik Shivner Marg and it also serves as a fire exit for the hotel. We have already had instances of fire engines and ambulances have had a tough time reaching the areas,” said Murtuza Ali, a developer who lives in Marathon Era society. “School buses also find it difficult to halt nar the pavement and children are forced to get off in the middle of the road.”