Massive congestion on Western Express highway, SoBo as President Ram Nath Kovind arrives in Mumbai – Times of India

MUMBAI: Massive traffic jams were reported on the Western Express highway and later in south Mumbai on Thursday as President Ram Nath Kovind arrived on a four-day visit to Maharashtra.
Motorists were delayed by at least an hour. Among vehicles stuck in the congestion on WEH were ambulances. Residents of Babulnath said the police would not even allow them to cross the road on foot.
“We took two-and-a-half hours to reach Lilavati Hospital in Bandra from our home in Borivali and eventually missed our doctor’s appointment. There were ambulances stuck in the snarl-up with us on WEH as were travellers going to the airport. The southbound arm of the WEH was completely jammed while the northbound lanes were emptied out. Why should priority be given to VIPs at a common man’s expense?,” said greens activist Cassandra Nazreth.
Many, like Nazreth, took to social media to vent their ire on Thursday. “Thank you Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police for forcing lakhs of Mumbaikars to meditate in the hot sun on both sides of WEH for more than half an hour at Vile Parle and Andheri on account of VIP movement,” tweeted Amit Chheda. A motorist said he was stuck at one spot at Andheri for half an hour.
“Citizens living in the financial capital of the country cannot make their travel plan just because of lack of advance intimation from the authorities. This is not done,” another motorist said.
At Babulnath, local residents said they weren’t allowed to cross the road on foot. “My 78-year-old father and I were trying to head home to the Parsee Colony at Babulnath when we were stuck in a taxi for an hour. My father started feeling uncomfortable after some time and we had to step out of the vehicle to sit at a bus stop,” said Rayomand Zaiwala, a local resident.
Zaiwala said the opposite side of the road (arm going to Marine Drive) was completely shut for traffic. “I saw at least three elderly women who were forbidden by the police from crossing the road to reach their homes. This is sheer arrogance. I have no idea where the women would have to wait for a long time until the Presidential convoy passed,” Zaiwala added.