Atal Setu Becomes New 'Picnic Spot' for Mumbaikars; Videos Show People Littering, Chaos For Selfies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the longest sea bridge in the country, connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. Since its opening, the bridge, named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, has witnessed several reactions and responses from the city residents.

Traffic Snarls, People Treat New Bridge as ‘Tourist Spot’

The bridge has already been a witness to many traffic violations. Some of the clips from the Atal Setu have gained attention on social media with many calling them ‘horrible scenes’.

An X user shared a video of several cars being parked on the side of the bridge. With a caption saying, “It’s a picnic at #AtalSetu,” the video also captures people flocking on the side of the bridge moving around it.

Many netizens have reacted strongly against the video while calling such scenes ‘horrible’.

“Only a day has passed since the inauguration, people have started treating it as a tourist spot or rather a picnic spot despite knowing that there is no stopping on this bridge. One can buy expensive cars, clothes, fuel, and many other things but what about common sense,” wrote another user.

One of the angry users reacted to the video saying, “Their cars should be impounded and sold off to reduce the charges of series car commuters. Jail should be the right place for them to do a picnic.”

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Traffic police responded to the video saying, “The concerned traffic division has been alerted about necessary actions.”

People Throw Waste on Bridge, Makes it a ‘Selfie-point’

As many people gathered to catch a glimpse of the newly-inaugurated bridge in Mumbai, several videos and pictures of people littering on the bridge were found on social media.

Many were even spotted stopping by the bridge to click pictures and take selfies. Netizens reacted to such clips and angrily slammed people.

One of the X users reacted to the clip saying, “You can make world-class infrastructure but if people don’t come out their third-class mindset of throwing garbage on the streets, nothing will help!”

Mumbaikars Welcome Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

Despite reducing commute time and improving connectivity in the city, people have been heard talking about the high toll rates that needs to be paid to travel across the bridge.

As per a report by Mid-Day, many people even from other states, arrived to witness the bridge and its beauty. Reji Joseph, from Kerala came to Mumbai with his son to see the bridge. “Though the toll rate charged for taxis is high, the view from the bridge when we travelled over the sea was so beautiful that we could never complain,” Joseph told Mid-Day.

Another resident from Borivali who was visiting a family event at Panvel, said, “Normally, it takes more than an hour to reach Panvel, but after the construction of this bridge, even Google Maps estimates that our travel time will be reduced by approximately 25 minutes.”

Highlighting the issue of high toll prices, a taxi driver Shamim Siddique said that even a lot of time gets saved due to the bridge, the single journey rate charged for cars is Rs 250, while that for buses and two-axle trucks is Rs 830. He further said, “Those undertaking a return trip in a car will be charged Rs 325. Meanwhile, oversized vehicles will be charged Rs 1580 for a single trip. “Traffic woes will be few, since two-wheelers aren’t allowed on the bridge.”

All You Need to Know About the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

• The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, stretched at a length of 21.8 km, originates from Sewri in Mumbai and terminates at Nhava Sheva in Uran taluka in Raigad district. After the inauguration, the bridge will become the longest sea bridge in the country and the 12th longest in the world.
• The bridge comprises a 16.5-km sea link and a 5.5-km land link. The sea link is a six-lane highway (three on either side and 2 emergency lanes). The bridge will cut down the journey from the current two hours to just around 15-20 minutes.
• The one-way toll on the MTHL is Rs 250 and the round-trip toll is Rs 375 for the first year. The rates will be revised post-review after one year from the commencement of operations.
• Ahead of its launch, the Mumbai Police has said the maximum speed limit for four-wheelers on the MTHL will be 100 kilometres per hour, while motorbikes, autorickshaws and tractors won’t be allowed on the sea bridge.
• The bridge was earlier scheduled to be inaugurated and made open to the public on December 25, 2023, but the inauguration was pushed for January because of several last-minute works.