MUMBAI: With aggregator cabs ditching commuters for 12 days ahead of Diwali , it may have been a harrowing week as far as transport is concerned, but the strike also meant some relief on roads. TOI Analytics shows that during October 22 and November 2 when drivers of Ola and Uber went on a strike to seek better pays, roads were less congested across the city and vehicular speeds improved to some extent.

TOI Analytics keeps 24X7 track of vehicular speed on several busy stretches. The Analytics showed that on most arterial roads, the speeds of vehicular traffic went up up by 17-22% as Ola and Uber cabs were off roads. For instance, the speed of vehicles on the busy Western Express Highway, particularly at the ever-choked Oberoi Mall Junction, improved to some extent during peak-hour travel.

The speed prior to the strike (October 1 to October 21 period) was an average of 15 kmph for all vehicles during peak time. This went up to 17.6 kmph between October 22 and November 2 when aggregator vehicles were off streets.

During the strike period, mainly private cars, SUVs, BEST buses, autorickshaws, school buses, tempos and heavy vehicles such as trucks had been plying on roads. A source said that the population of Ola and Uber cabs collectively stands at 70,000 in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and these cabs are always on the move and so, they contribute heavily to the daily congestion.

“It was a smooth drive in the suburbs during the strike as the congestion was much lesser,” said Sahil Kulkarni, an office-goer who travels from Goregaon to BKC for work daily.

Transport experts, though admitting that congestion was reduced during the strike, demanded that it should be the private cars and SUVs whose population should be controlled. “During the strike, it was evident that if we reduce the vehicular population to some extent, it gives comfort to other commuters. In an ideal set-up, the priority should be given to public transport vehicles and private vehicles like cars, SUVs and two-wheelers should be dissuaded from coming on roads as much as possible,” said transport expert A V Shenoy of Mumbai Vikas Samiti.

He said that 70,000 aggregator cabs in the region can possibly keep 3 to 4 lakh cars or two-wheelers off roads as citizens find these AC cabs a convenient mode of transport where there are zero refusals and pick-ups are done at doorstep.

Fellow expert G R Vora said that aggregator cabs were a convenient mode of public transport and catered to the demand in the absence of good AC buses. “These cabs are always on the move as the driver gets another ride as soon as he completes one. So there is no problem of cabs being parked on the roadside for longer period. Besides, it helps in mass transit of passengers, especially daily office-goers who prefer shared rides,” he pointed out.

The city has a vehicular population of over 35 lakh, of which 10 lakh are private cars and 20 lakh are two-wheelers. These private vehicles occupy 77% of the road space. “Motorists may have heaved a sigh of relief during the recent strike recently, but we need to prioritise what kind of vehicles should actually go off roads and what should stay,” Shenoy added.

