Stuck in BKC traffic? Fridays could look very different

Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), a premier business district infamous for its peak-hour traffic where you dread every signal, will now see every Friday as a public-transport-only day! Announced by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on World Environment Day, the initiative, called 'BKC Weekly Public Holiday Day', aims to tackle bumper-to-bumper traffic and air pollution in the district by going car-free once every week.

This move will impact over two lakh office-goers and employees who move in and out of the gridlock during peak hours. Some spend more than two hours commuting daily. About 52% of the people coming to BKC do so in their own vehicles, auto ricks, and taxis.

So what can you take if not your car?

Commuters are heavily encouraged to use public transport. The nearest suburban railway stations are Bandra and Kurla. The Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) has direct connectivity to Aarey JVLR and Cuff Parade. There are also about 100 BEST buses with five to six feeder routes, as well as the usual suspects – autorickshaws, taxis and bike taxis – readily available.

The biggest challenge, though, is inadequate last-mile connectivity (a bit of a pain if you're taking the train or bus), as well as a lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure with ample shade.

Why Fridays?

Well, it couldn’t have been Mondays, because how else would people arrive for their all-hands meetings, stand-ups and corporate things-that-can-be emails if not in taxis and private cars?!

It was noted that Mondays are high-pressure days, making it difficult for commuters to switch to public transport if they want to get into the office on time.

It isn't uncommon to have car-free Sundays in global cities like Mexico City, Manila, Jakarta, and more. But Friday? The authorities state that Fridays are noted to be more flexible days in terms of corporate attendance and schedules.

The authorities will identify bottlenecks every week and plan to introduce corrective measures to combat them. Measures like dedicated u-turns and turning facilities for BEST buses at important junctions are being considered.

What may also happen is that some internal roads within large corporate campuses may open up to allow pedestrians to walk directly between destinations rather than taking longer routes.

BKC – the concrete corridor spread over 370 hectares – poses unique challenges when it comes to transportation. While this move is encouragement-only right now, and not mandatory, maybe a moderate shift in consumer behaviour like going car-free may just solve the congestion issues.