Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday directed the administration to solve the traffic issues and ensure a smoother commute on roads. He was speaking at a meeting held in Mumbai to discuss road conditions and traffic situation, especially on the Wada-Bhiwandi stretch and Mumbai-Nashik Highway. Shinde asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to fill all the potholes in two days and avoid heavy traffic along the highway. PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, Road Development Minister Dada Bhuse, MLC Satyajit Tambe, MLA Niranjan Davkhare, Manisha Mhaiskar, Thane District Collector, Thane Police Commissioner, Thane Rural Superintendent of Police, national highways officer and other officials were present in the high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. During the meeting, Shinde also set up a task force including members from Thane Municipal Corporation, MMRDA, and MSRDC under the chairmanship of the Thane District Collector. He further asked the force to follow up constantly and ensure better condition of roads, especially in Thane and Kalyan-Dombivali areas, and along the Mumbai-Nashik highway. The first meeting has been organised with the task force on Saturday where detailed measures would be discussed on easing the traffic woes. The issue came to light when Satyajeet Tambe drew Shinde's attention and shared his ordeal which took over three hours to cover a 30-minute drive between Bhiwandi and Kalyan in order to reach Mumbai by road. Tambe had to ultimately take a local train to reach Mumbai in order to attend the Legislative Council. Balasaheb Thorat, who is also a regular traveller from the Mumbai-Nashik highway, had raised the issue in the monsoon Assembly session and said that he had to walk two kilometres, to which Dada Bhuse had assured that potholes will be filled at the earliest and wardens would be deployed to man traffic on the highway.
