Vehicles stuck on railway tracks for 10 minutes,tragedy averted in nick of time
Residents seek ban on vehicular traffic between Kasarwadi-Gurav Pimple,say traffic jam common on tracks
Around 7.30 pm Friday,several two-wheeler riders and a couple of motorists had their hearts in mouth when traffic came to a grinding halt at Kasarwadi and they found themselves stuck right on the railway tracks. For a good 10 minutes,each desperately tried to find space to squeeze out of the mess,the honking growing louder and the gateman waving furiously to clear the tracks to lower the gates.
Finally without waiting for all the vehicles to get off the track,gateman Sopan Kotwal started lowering the gates,even as a local train came hurtling down the tracks. Fortunately,all the vehicles exited its path in nick of time.
Nilesh Rayate,who was heading for his residence in Kalewadi from Kasarwadi area said,“I had no clue how to get out of the jam right on the tracks. I was really scared. I had decided to dump my vehicle and run. Luckily the traffic got cleared.”
The incident happened between 7.25 and 7.50 pm. The gate was opened by the gateman after the Mumbai-Kanyakumari Express and the Pragati Express passed by. In the available time of less than 10 minutes,the gate was opened to let traffic pass. However,since the vehicles,especially two-wheelers,had blocked both sides,all vehicles got stuck on the trucks. Compounding the problem was the fact that a bus could not take the left turn due to vehicles leaving no space. “The bus could not move and therefore the traffic from behind tried to overtake it. In the process,they ran into the vehicles coming from the opposite direction leading to the jam,” said Rayate.
This is not the first such incident at the railway gate at Kasarwadi. According to the gateman,at least three to four times a day,nervous moments prevail among motorists at the crossing. N Pandhare,a local resident who was present at the spot said,“If traffic police and the railways do not put an end to traffic passing through the gate,a bigger tragedy could occur any time.”
Civic activist Jayant Kariya said that a major tragedy was averted on earlier occasions after vehicles got stuck and express trains hurtled down the track. Demanding a halt to vehicular traffic through the gate at Kasarwadi,Kariya said,“Only vehicles from Kasarwadi should be allowed. Those heading towards Gurav Pimple,Sangvi,Rahatni and Kalewadi should be stopped immediately.”
The activists said that the PCMC has opened two routes for vehicles heading towards Gurav Pimple and Sangvi. “One is from Shankarwadi and the other is from Phugewadi bridge. Why should heavy traffic be allowed through a residential area? Even otherwise,lives of local residents are under threat on the narrower roads of the suburb,” said Lahoo Landge,local leader of a political party.
Railway spokesperson Y K Singh said railways have in the past too pointed out that it is the traffic police and the PCMC to decide whether to allow vehicular traffic on Kasarwadi-Gurav Pimple route. “If vehicular traffic gets stuck on railway tracks due to narrow roads in the suburb,then it is very serious matter…PCMC and traffic police should act at the earliest.” When contacted,DCP (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare said he would send his officials to examine the situation. “Once we study the problem,we will initiate a plan,” he said.
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