Maratha quota protest: Mumbai braces for traffic chaos Monday

With the Maratha reservation protest set to spill into the new week Mumbai commuters face a tough Monday September 1 Based on inputs from BEST Railways Metro and the traffic police midday takes stock of how the cityrsquos lifelines will be hit Mumbai Traffic Police has blocked several arterial roads leading into South Mumbai At least 15 major roads mdash including CSMT JJ Bridge Mahapalika Marg DN Road Madam Cama Road and MG Road mdash will remain disruptedRoads amp BEST busesAt least 15 major roads mdash including JJ Bridge Mahapalika Marg DN Road Madam Cama Road and MG Road mdash will remain disrupted Over 60 BEST bus routes are likely to be curtailed diverted or suspended BEST has urged passengers to check its social media for realtime updates before stepping outProtesters outside CSMT on SundayTraffic diversionsThe Mumbai Traffic Police have blocked several arterial roads leading into South Mumbai Key choke points include the JJ flyover Crawford Market and the Gateway of India stretch Motorists are advised to avoid these areas Traffic will be kept moving on the Eastern Freeway BandraWorli Sea Link and Western Express HighwayRailwaysCentral and Western Railway officials said local services will run as scheduled but crowd management teams have been deployed at hubs such as Dadar Byculla Thane and Panvel where gatherings are expected Commuters have been advised to allow for extra travel time The Central Railway on Sunday said that they had requested the Maharashtra governments help for the smooth running of suburban trains on Monday and deployed additional forces ldquoApproximately 240 additional Railway Protection Force RPF personnel and 94 Maharashtra Security Force MSF staff have been deployed at CSMT along with commercial and operating staffrdquo a CR spokesperson told middayTwo Maratha protesters wrestle to pass the time at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Sunday PicAtul KambleMetroWith roads blocked and buses diverted Metro corridors mdash Blue Line 1 Yellow amp Red Lines 2A7 and Aqua Line 3 mdash are expected to see heavy footfall as officegoers switch to trainsEssentials remain hitldquoThe Maratha Andolan has led to a total traffic collapse across Mumbai especially at Mankhurd and Panjrapole junction leading to the Freeway People are taking hours to reach even nearby offices many of which have been forced shut Patients needing urgent treatment cannot reach hospitals and even ambulances are stuck Citizens are also missing flights and critical appointments While we respect the right to protest essential services and daily livelihoods must not be brought to a standstillrdquo said Bal Malkit Singh advisor All India Motor Transport CongressSchoolsWhile many schools are shut for Ganesh Chaturthi holidays others have not issued clarity ldquoAs school bus drivers the decision is not in our hands If schools remain open we will ply busesrdquo said Ramesh Manian a school bus operator serving institutions near Azad MaidanGiven the crowded neighbourhood and roadblocks a few South Mumbai schools have decided to move classes online ldquoSchools like JB Petit Cathedral and John Connon and Campion have decided not to bring children in tomorrow so buses for these schools wonrsquot plyrdquo added RameshHowever as of Sunday night no formal holiday had been declared for Mumbai schoolsSpeaking to midday a senior BMC official said ldquoNo official holiday will be observed on Monday due to the Maratha Morcha protests While several schools are already shut for Ganapati those that are open have been asked to take precautions Principals are advised to connect with their nearest police stations to ascertain safe functional routes for school buses and studentsrdquo Commuter speakldquoI often take the train to work but tomorrow I may drive to Nariman Point I stayed back on Friday and Saturday due to road closures and Irsquom only travelling tomorrow because itrsquos unavoidablerdquo said a Kandivli residentldquoI understand the protest but authorities must ensure minimum disruption For officegoers like us Monday is going to be a nightmare Itrsquos not just about reaching work mdash coming back in the evening will be even tougher With roads closed and buses suspended everything will be chaoticrdquo said commuter Akshata NarkarldquoMonday is always hectic and with so many routes curtailed Irsquom worried about reaching my office on time Irsquoll have to leave at least an hour early just to be saferdquo said Prakash Todankar a commuter from ChunabhattiAs of Sunday evening colleges in and around Fort have decided to function as usual KC College and HR College among others will be conducting offline classesldquoIn such cases most visually impaired students either have their parents drop them off at college take a taxi or travel with friends Navigating these situations can be challenging but on most days students manage to pull throughrdquo said Naman Parakh a visually impaired student from a South Mumbai collegeEmergency helplinesGovernment Railway Police15121800 22 1512Mobile GRP95948 99991 84250 99991