Mumbai residents flag broken roads, signal lapses and local train woes, seek action

Several Mumbai residents have sent in complaints about roads, traffic, post offices and the railways. Most of the complaints concern roads in Andheri West.

Residents of Suresh Nagar in Andheri West and motorists have raised concern over the worsening condition of KD Gaikwad Marg. According to Iqbal Gilani Mansuri, large stretches of the road near the junction are uneven. Manhole covers are sunken in places and raised in others, there are deep cracks and many potholes. During peak hours and in poor light, the risk grows for both two-wheeler and four-wheeler riders. He has asked the civic agencies concerned to carry out repairs immediately.

Mansuri also drew attention to a large cave-in or pothole on New Link Road opposite the RTO in Andheri West. According to him, the damaged stretch runs from the signal to the end of the slope. He has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to barricade the area at once and carry out a good repair as soon as possible. He also demanded a system of regular and strict inspection of the city's roads, so that such defects are caught before they become a danger to people.

Aziz Contractor has complained about the absence of traffic police at the signal at Siddhivinayak Temple junction. He says the police stand at a distance, busy talking and on their mobile phones, and traffic stays disrupted. He has asked the head of the RTO to look into it, as this is now an important signal.

On post offices, Shri Jayanthi wrote that when all the pages of a savings account passbook are full, the account holder is made to sign a form for a new passbook. According to Jayanthi, banks issue a new passbook automatically. Jayanthi said postal department rules vary from branch to branch, causing customers difficulty, and should be uniform.

On the railways, Chetan N Mehta has sent thanks. The broken staircase and missing railing on platform number 1 of Andheri station (West), on the Jogeshwari side, used to trouble elderly people. The railways have promptly replaced them with a new staircase and new railing. Darshan J described conditions in the ladies' first-class compartment. According to Darshan, in the evening women passengers crowd the doors after Andheri, making it hard to board and alight. Some young passengers leave empty bottles, glasses and packets on the seats or in the overhead racks, which often drip on passengers seated below. Darshan has urged the railways to do something.

Some departments have replied to complaints sent last Monday.

On a complaint about garbage on the road, a BMC official said the ward has door-to-door garbage collection and boards displaying garbage van timings are in place. CCTV is used to catch those who litter, and they are fined. According to the official, many hawkers keep selling on the road even after the garbage van has passed, which sometimes causes littering.

Piyush Gudka had pointed to the need for a signal. A senior traffic police officer said the department is aware of the crowding at these junctions and that personnel are posted at major junctions, especially during peak hours. Installing and maintaining signals is the job of the civic agencies concerned, but operating them requires coordination and approval from the traffic department. The matter of the non-functioning signals at Suchak Naka and Chakki Naka, and the need for a signal at Durgadi Fort circle, will be taken up with the KDMC.

Deepak Desai had said there was no footpath. A civic official said the ward would look into it and examine the possibility of building a footpath. A BMC official told Jetan Peter D'Souza, who had asked for a BEST bus service, that once the fleet expands, the feasibility of a direct bus service from CSMT to Mahul village will be examined and necessary steps taken.