Hit by daily traffic snarls, BKC’s high-profile firms mull staggered work timings

Mumbai: The swanky business district of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), once the cynosure of multinational firms, five-star hotels, top restaurants, schools and hospitals, seems to be losing its sheen.

The reasons are many: vehicular congestion, inadequate road width, poor last-mile connectivity, and unruly auto-rickshaw drivers who overcharge during peak hours. All this despite the district commanding some of the highest property rates in the country.

After years of apathy from the city’s administration, members of BKC’s G Block, which houses Bharat Diamond Bourse, First International Financial Center, Jio World Plaza, and the US Consulate, among other high-profile entities, are taking matters into their own hands.

On August 5, the Bharat Diamond Bourse wrote a letter to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the nodal body for BKC, about the critical infrastructure deficiencies in the business district that are affecting their employees. The situation has only worsened since August 1, when the Sion road overbridge (ROB) was shut for demolition.

Staggered work hours

Around 200,000-250,000 Mumbaiites land up at BKC for work in the peak hours from 9 am to 6 pm. Since the Sion ROB was shut, vehicle movement has been hampered and traffic jams are seen throughout the day.

The G Block members association is contemplating introducing staggered work hours, wherein employees of an organisation do not all arrive and leave at the same time. The work hours would start anywhere between 8 am and 10 am, and end between 5 pm and 7 pm.

“We have been having staggered working hours since Covid days. It is a good option that can be replicated by other members as well,” said Jayesh Shah, founder of Shree Naman Group, a real estate firm headquartered in G Block.

“It takes 15 minutes from south Mumbai to BKC via the coastal road. However, from the time we reach Worli, it takes 45 minutes to reach our offices in BKC. So, the need for staggered work hours is under discussion,” said Kirit Bhansali, a member of Bharat Diamond Bourse.

However, staggered work timings are not being implemented across G Block or under a common understanding throughout BKC.

Angst of citizens

Another solution proposed in the Bharat Diamond Bourse’s letter is clipping the width of footpaths wherever needed to free up road space. “The width of footpaths is an issue, too, because they are wider than the roads at a few locations. We have also suggested having one-way roads for a smoother flow of traffic,” said Bhansali.

These solutions, if implemented, would only serve those who travel by car. In a city where the suburban railway network is considered its lifeline, just having wider roads is unlikely to impact a majority of Mumbaiites who travel to BKC daily.

That said, a delegation of merchants from Bharat Diamond Bourse did meet MMRDA officials to discuss problems that do impact most Mumbaiites. Like poor last-mile connectivity, the menace of auto-rickshaw drivers at Bandra and Kurla railway stations, metro rail barricades despite the work being completed, and inadequate public transport.

“The shared autos [from Bandra and Kurla stations] charge anywhere between ₹30 and ₹40 in the peak hours, and they don’t allow regular auto drivers to ply to BKC. It is utter chaos outside the railway stations,” said R Jadhav, a regular commuter to BKC.

At Kurla, due to ongoing work and traffic diversions, the movement of BEST buses is also affected. BEST also cedes some of its routes from BKC near the Western Express Highway, from where people have to either walk or hail autos to Bandra station. Every day, at least 75,000 passengers travel in BEST buses to BKC.

“We write to formally express the severe hardships faced by the stakeholders of G Block in BKC due to acute traffic congestion. With an average daily footfall of 80,000 and vehicular influx of 9,000, we are compelled to highlight the critical infrastructure challenges that are adversely impacting our operations. We advocate comprehensive redesigning of BKC,” reads the letter from Bharat Diamond Bourse to Sanjay Mukherjee, metropolitan commissioner of MMRDA.

In December last year, MMRDA conducted a detailed inspection of seven BKC traffic junctions that are perennially plagued by traffic jams. The planning authority is still working on ways to ease the congestion. The traffic-choked locations include the BKC connector landing, Bharat Diamond Bourse, the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Jio Convention Centre, MTNL, the Indian Oil Petrol Pump, and the Godrej BKC tower.

Unused cycle tracks

Guardian minister (suburban Mumbai) Mangal Prabhat Lodha also wrote to MMRDA, seeking realignment of roads in BKC and removing the cycle tracks.

“Although cycle tracks and gardens have been developed, we must acknowledge that cyclists rarely use them,” the letter said. The minister suggested creating a separate cycle track on any adjacent plot in BKC so that cyclists can use it safely. BKC has a 30-km cycle track that is occupied by auto rickshaws who park there.

Lodha’s letter also said that the MMRDA should plan their own buses from railway stations to BKC to address the problem of auto-rickshaw drivers who overcharge. Shashank Sharad Rao, an auto-rickshaw union leader, blamed the mess on “illegally plying auto drivers” from Bandra and Kurla stations to BKC. “They have made a mess of everything and are one of the main reasons behind the traffic snarls,” he said.

According to sources, civic officials are planning more meetings and visits to BKC in the coming days to address the issues.