The traffic at the various entry points is as follows: on the EEH, it is around 14,000 cars, 6,000 trucks and 1,000 buses and 2,000 light commercial vehicles; on Sion-Panvel highway at Vashi, it is around 24,000 cars, 6,000 buses, 12,000 trucks and 7,000 LCVs; and on WEH at Dahisar, there are 12,000 cars, 2,500 buses, 7,000 trucks and 3,000 LCVs. This traffic at the entry points increases inside the city.

Why flyovers? The city's express highways have a number of intersections on them because of the east-west connection. The traffic moving on these roadshas to stop at these intersections due to signals, as both the cross-traffic movements are heavy at these junctions. Due to stoppage of traffic at signal locations, the speed of a vehicle is reduced and more time is needed for travelling. At an average speed of 13 kmph, Mumbai already has one of the world's slowest vehicle speeds. This results in more fuel consumption due to acceleration and deceleration of vehicles. More fuel is consumed by idling of vehicles at signals both for north-south and east-west traffic. And as recent studies on air pollution have established beyond doubt, idling engines result in more pollution and dangerously high levels of lethal Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions.

The Government of Maharashtra has therefore wisely decided to construct 55 flyovers all over the Mumbai metropolitan region to solve the city's traffic problems. Five flyovers have been already completed at Kalanagar, Thane, Amar Mahal, Everadnagar and Turbhe.

The remaining 50 flyovers have been handed over to theMaharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) by the Government of Maharashtra's Public Works Department. Out of these 50, 36 are on three major express highways and 14 on major arterial roads belonging to BMC. After construction of these flyovers on express highways through traffic will save both time and fuel, thus lessening pollution. Also, cross traffic which has to halt at junctions will be faster while crossing express highways. Currently the average speed on express highways for a distance of 25 kms is 15 kmph. This will double after construction of flyovers. A journey from the city to Borivli would take just an hour.

But it's the tremendous annual savings in time and fuel these flyovers will bring about, that justify their construction. With current traffic volumes, the fuel saving due to reduced idling at intersections will be around Rs 78 crore due to elimination of signals on express highways. The time saved works to around Rs 120 crore.

The total cost of the project is around Rs 1,600crore for which MSRDC has raised money by floating bonds. Repayment of this money will be through toll collection at entry points in Mumbai.

(Nitin Dossa is president of the Western India Automobile Association)