The issue of traffic congestion due to pothole ridden roads and lack of maintenance on the Mumbai-Nashik road, especially on the Bhiwandi bypass, was raised by the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. Raising the issue in the House, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh on Tuesday demanded a closure of the Padgha Toll Naka, which according to him creates traffic congestion on the route. Shaikh warned the state government that the Samajwadi Party will protest if the toll road is not shut. ट्रॅफिक का बुरा हाल, सरकार से तीखे सवाल भिवंडी शहर और उसके आसपास ट्रॅफिक एक बड़ी समस्या बन गई है। बढ़ते शहरीकरण, लॉजिस्टिक्स पार्क, औद्योगिक गतिविधियों के कारण, भारी वाहनों और कारों में वृद्धि के कारण ट्रैफिक जाम नियमित हो गया है, इसलिए हर दिन यात्रा में… pic.twitter.com/kk4anqjxMA — Rais Shaikh (@rais_shk) July 25, 2023 "There was an accident a few days ago on the Nashik-Mumbai highway near Bhiwandi, wherein six people had lost their lives. PWD Minister Dada Bhuse immediately reached the site, but it is the government which is responsible for the incident, because there is no such thing as maintenance on this road. People suffer everyday, even though the area comes under the Chief Minister himself. There is a need for an expressway from Padgha to Thane. There is no point of having Padgha toll Naka on the stretch since there is no maintenance on this road. If this toll booth is not shut, the Samajwadi Party will protest there," Rais Sheikh said in the Assembly. He also urged PWD Minister Dada Bhuse to pay attention to look into issues being faced by people of Bhiwandi-Kalyan-Padgha and find a solution to end traffic snarls on the stretch. While replying to Shaikh, Bhuse said that the four-lane road is in the process of being converted into an eight-lane road. "The government intends to complete work on this road by August 2024, which will reduce traffic congestion. 30 per cent of work on this road is complete," Bhuse said.
