Mumbai: THIS is the reason why you see wrong vehicles on JJ flyover or BKC connector

The JJ flyover has anti-two-wheeler signs, which are easy to overlook, at either end

Despite being banned on the Bandra Kurla Complex-Chunabhatti connector and JJ flyover, two-wheelers and autorickshaws continue to ply on these structures thanks to improper and inadequate signage. Signs have not been placed at strategic locations where riders and motorists can view them easily, causing many to realise that they should have avoided the bridges altogether much later. Drivers and riders are fined Rs 500 for wrongfully entering access-controlled bridges. When mid-day examined the connector, which links BKC Road and the Eastern Express Highway, as well as the JJ flyover in South Mumbai, on Sunday, proper signage was lacking at both spots.

BKC connector

Around 300 metres before the BKC end of the connector, there were signs on the median of the road stating that two and three-wheelers were not allowed. At the entry point of the connector, too, there was a board also stating this information. While the gantry at the start of the eastbound stretch mentioned the area where the connector leads, the sign at the top of it - which mentioned only four-wheelers were allowed on the structure - was minuscule.

Bikers are fined after crossing over from Chunabhatti to BKC via the connector, which is strictly for four-wheelers, on Sunday. Pics/Atul Kamble

While returning from Chunabhatti to BKC, there were few signs on the southbound stretch of the Eastern Express Highway. Signage on the gantry at the entry point of the connector was not visible, resulting in several two-wheeler riders taking the connector only to get caught at the BKC end. At the BKC end of the connector, a large number of traffic police personnel could be seen cracking down on two-wheeler riders and auto drivers for having used the connector.

JJ flyover

When this correspondent made his way to the arterial overpass connecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Byculla, he observed that it is only at either end of the flyover that signage stating that two-wheelers and three-wheelers were prohibited could be seen. So small were the signs that they could be easily overlooked by bikers travelling at a speed of 30 to 40 kmph.

The BKC-Chunabhatti connector, which is strictly for four-wheelers

Commuters speak

Hiren Patel, a biker, said, "Once when heading towards BKC from Chunabhatti, I took the connector only to realise that two-wheelers are not allowed on it after being stopped by a traffic police constable. The font used for the signage on either side of the gantry is too tiny for two-wheeler riders and auto drivers riding at a speed of 40 kmph. I was lucky as the constable did not impose a penalty after I told him about my genuine confusion."

Businessman Wasim Shaikh said, "I take the BKC-Chunabhatti connector about 20 days a month. On the BKC end, I see traffic police constables stopping two-wheelers and autorickshaws to impose fines. However, the traffic cops should take the effort to install several large signs not just at the connector's entry points but also at least 500 metres ahead of them to prevent bikes and three-wheelers from entering the bridge."

‘Segregation needed'

A V Shenoy, a senior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum and Mumbai Vikas Samiti, said, "The roads department of the BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation] is very lax about road markings and signage. Also, there is no proper coordination between the traffic police and the traffic cell, which is under the department.

The JJ flyover has anti-two-wheeler signs, which are easy to overlook, at either end. Pics/Atul Kamble

There is no proper signage. Also, vehicles aren't segregated sufficiently before they enter flyovers, resulting in them either wrongly getting onto bridges or changing lanes at the last minute, which can cause accidents. Many one-way streets do not have no-entry signs. The Roads Interutility Coordination Apex Committee, which has been non-functional for the past 12 years, needs to start meeting regularly to ensure proper coordination among various departments and utilities digging roads."

Transport expert Jitendra Gupta said, "If there is no proper signage, and if bikers are caught, who is at fault? Should bikers be penalised for someone else's negligence and dereliction of duty? Who will be held accountable if, due to others' negligence and dereliction of duty, a biker meets with an accident and dies?"