Mumbaikars face bumper-to-bumper traffic as PM Narendra Modi’s convoy passes by

Mumbai: It was an emergency of sorts on Mumbai roads, as traffic across the city grind to a halt. It took an average of one hour for citizens to navigate distances that are ordinarily a stone’s throw away. Bumper-to-bumper traffic caused colossal wastage of working time and the public took to social media to vent its ire.PM Modi, who has often slammed leaders of the Congress and other parties for the manner in which the public is stuck in traffic because their convoys were passing through, ended up doing just that.

Modi was visiting Mumbai to address the third annual Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) meeting at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point. Traffic on the main VIP road, from Nariman Point to Bandra Sea Link, via Worli, was virtually at attention until the PM’s convoy passed. As a result, traffic on the connecting and arterial roads too was reduced to a snail’s pace. Tejas Rokhade took to Twitter and tagged the Mumbai police. “Traffic at Marine drive from Islam Gymkhana is just too much, Very slow movement, It seems traffic was in control until Modi was at the NCPA and now nothing. Please take action soon.’’ The complaint was diligently passed onto the Traffic police. Sunderlal Gupta, a senior professional, was livid. It takes him an hour to cover his normal route from Malad to Nariman Point, but on Tuesday it took him over an hour from Churchgate to Nariman Point.

“This is ridiculous, this is the amount of time it takes me to cover my route. Any minister visiting Mumbai should not be allowed to hold the city’s traffic to ransom,” said Gupta.Meanwhile, Radheshyam Mishra, a builder who travels regularly to South Mumbai was stranded at Mohammad Ali Road for nearly an hour. “It is a 15-minute commute from Mohammad Ali Road to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Today it took me an hour, as there was bumper-to-bumper traffic and that too, in the afternoon,” said Mishra. Another harried citizen tweeted to Mumbai police for help as his sister had to appear for an exam and the traffic had delayed her, which upset the family.  “Why this much traffic on Metro-Churchgate road? My sister’s University final exam is there at 3 pm but due to your poor management it affects her career,’’ lamented Harsh Madiyar.