Did you know that the city’s noisiest traffic spot is 100 metres from top cop’s office?

Shalini Poosarla & Akanksha Saxena
Mumbai: It’s probably the noisiest and most chaotic traffic intersection in the city and believe it or not, it’s barely 100 metres from the office of the Mumbai police commissioner.
The junction under JJ flyover where LT Marg meets Mohammed Ali Road has no barricades separating vehicles going to and fro, which leads to huge pile-ups and cacophony on the street.Motorists cut lanes and cause traffic jams through the day as vehicles coming down from Metro junction, Dr DN Road and other adjoining lanes empty into LT Marg. The waiting time can stretch as they queue up to turn left into Mohammed Ali Road or cut across to P D’Mello Road from under the flyover. Their ceaseless honking raises decibels to between 98dB and 105.8dB—a level at which the noise is known to cause physical pain.
“The noise echoes back as the location is under the flyover, which is also adding to the sound levels there,” said Sumaira Abdulali, the anti-noise pollution activist who heads Awaaz Foundation.
Vendors in the area say they are weary of the ruckus and would appreciate it if the police takes steps to speed up traffic flow and contain the noise. Surya Pratap Singh, an 18-year-old who works part-time selling bags right at the intersection, says the relentless honking has already affected his hearing and occasionally gives him a headache. Since he works for only two to three days a week, he finds it harder to get accustomed to it every time he returns to the spot.
Shahid Patka (21), who owns a shop in the neighbourhood named ‘The Bag Lounge’, says the congestion and honking could be avoided if a divider was put up to stop drivers from cutting lanes.
The traffic police, it appears, is conscious of the problem, though it has done nothing so far except post a few personnel to keep vehicles moving. “The problem with the area is that there are way too many intersections and there is movement of vehicles in various directions,” said Anil Kumbhare, DCP, Mumbai traffic. As a result of poor planning and encroachments, the DN Road portion coming past Crawford Market is much wider than the LT Road stretch that it joins, creating a bottleneck for traffic moving towards Byculla and Carnac Bunder. But police, with the BMC’s help, now plan to tackle the problem by building a divider at the intersection. Kumbhare said the arrangement would be ready “in about a month” or so.
Until then, police personnel posted at the spot have been instructed to just keep traffic moving in order to lessen the almost deafening noise caused by vehicle horns.
On a regular day, around three men are posted at the intersection, but on days with heavy traffic, up to 17 are deployed. Kumbhare said the police have been taking measures to stop people from cutting lanes by levying fines, of Rs 100 to Rs 600, depending on the offence. If it is serious, vehicles and licenses are seized, he said.
Sanjay Sangle (33), a traffic police officer posted at the intersection, said during peak hours, it is difficult to fine everyone who flouts rules by cutting lanes, but a lot of effort is put in to ensure that double parking is prevented as this causes more congestion at the spot. “The noise of the traffic affects me just as much as it does the shopkeepers. If the BMC does build a divider, it will make the job of the police a lot easier,” said Sangle.