Goregaon residents lend a helping hand to traffic cops

Ever since the traffic police banned four wheelers from using the Aarey Colony Road to commute between the western and eastern suburbs due to ongoing bridge repairs, residents from Royal Palms in Goregaon have been volunteering during peak hours to help manage the traffic.

The residents hold placards informing motorists about the bridge repairs and ask them to use the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) instead. The residents even have to bear the ire of angry motorists who don't want to take the congested JVLR. They even help the cops in checking the identity cards of Aarey Colony residents whose vehicles are permitted on the road.

"The traffic police has put up small boards but several motorists ignored them, creating traffic jams. The cops told us they are short on manpower thus we had no option but to volunteer," said Rajesh Shetty, a resident of Royal Palms who has been volunteering daily. He added that around 20 residents have been volunteering for the past few days. "In the morning we stand at points near the Aarey junction of Western Urban Road while in the evening we stand near the picnic point junction" said Shetty, adding that they are planning to put up large across the road hoardings.

Ashima Avasthi, another volunteering resident said that the repairs are going to take three months, "While it's a terrific gesture on the part of the community, the traffic cops will have to come up with a permanent solution."

An official from the Dindoshi traffic division said that the residents' help has been very effective.