Mumbai traffic dreads IPL opener tonight

Mumbai: Get set for major traffic snarls as all roads lead to Navi Mumbai's D Y Patil stadium for the IPL-III opener on Friday night. And, if you're headed to the stadium, leave your cars at home.

If you plan to use your vehicle to go to Navi Mumbai for the opening ceremony of the IPL at the D Y Patil Stadium, you may not find any parking, for there are no extra arrangements.

"We appeal to the spectators to make use of the public transport system, instead of using their private vehicles. Though parking is provided, the security of the vehicles is solely the owner's responsibility," said Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol.

Adding to the regular traffic flow of over 60,000-70,000 vehicles, which include nearly 22,000-25,000 cars crossing the Vashi toll plaza daily, the number of cars will be at least 7,000 more, thanks to the grand opening.

Traffic arrangement from Vashi Creek to the stadium

- VIP and players route is a stretch of 12 km from the Vashi creek to the stadium, via Palm Beach road. This route is closed for general parking.
- Heavy vehicles not allowed on Amra Marg from Uran and on Palm Beach Road.
- VIP gate not allowed for general parking outside the stadium
- No parking on the DY Patil service route.
- No parking on the LP Junction to SIES college.

Toll Collection

Jayant Mhaiskar, Managing Director, Mumbai Entry Point Toll Road Private Ltd, said, "We have a daily toll collection of Rs 14-15 lakh, and we anticipate an extra income of over Rs 3.50 lakh. We have 12 toll counters, and around 60,000-70,000 vehicles cross the Vashi toll daily. The staff strength will be increased by 50 per cent to handle the extra traffic inflow, and we do not anticipate spending more than 10 seconds on each vehicle." 

The Numbers Game

Sitting capacity of the stadium - 55,000
Parking arrangement in and around the stadium - 2,800 vehicles
Number of vehicles anticipated at the venue - 6,000-7000
(No parking lot for the remaining 3,000-odd vehicles)
Number of traffic policemen on job - 267 (1 ACP, 10 Inspectors, 38 API and PSI, 218 Constables) 

No arrangements from BEST, railways

While the NMMT (Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport) and the State Transport will be providing extra buses today, the BEST and railways have not made any extra arrangements for commuters, which might lead to a slow traffic movement on the roads leading to Navi Mumbai.  

Transport bosses say

Sashi Damodaran, Chairman, NMMT

I am anticipating a slow traffic movement during the peak hour. NMMT has two depots Turbhe with 176 buses, and Panvel with  15 buses, and 20 air-conditioned Volvo buses shuttle between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. We are adding 20 extra buses, and the frequency will be 10 minutes, instead of the regular 30 minutes.

Around 2.5 lakh commuters travel by NMMT and we anticipate the figure to go up by 15 per cent today. Our daily revenue collection is around Rs 18 lakh a day, and it might go up by an approximate Rs 1 lakh, as the buses would ply on shorter routes.

Srinivas Mudgerikar, CPRO, Central Railway

We have not added any extra trains. We already have 164 slow trains plying on Thane-Panvel, and 400 trains on CST-Panvel route. Over 10 lakh commuters travel daily on this route. We are anticipating an increase of an extra 20,000 commuters.

Uttam Khobragade, General Manager, BEST

We are not plying any extra BEST buses to Navi Mumbai. Over 200 BEST buses ply daily on Mumbai-Navi Mumbai belt.