Mumbai Container Truck Hits Height Gauge, Causing Major Traffic Delays
A container truck collided with a height gauge at King’s Circle, disrupting traffic and raising safety concerns among railway officials in Mumbai.
Mumbai, India, Traffic, Container Truck, Height Gauge, Railway
Mumbai: Just two days after the Central Railway warned the BMC about trucks hitting height gauges, another container truck struck one at King’s Circle early Wednesday. This caused a big traffic jam towards Dadar, but thankfully, the bridge and train services were not affected. Authorities quickly cleared the debris, but the rising number of these accidents is worrying railway officials.
A Central Railway spokesperson mentioned that the first incident happened around 3 AM when a truck hit the sacrificial height gauge, which is there to warn drivers. Later, another vehicle hit the main height gauge. To tackle this, a railway worker was placed at the site to stop over-height trucks from entering. They plan to fix the damaged gauge tonight.
Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Pawar from Sion Police Station said they registered a non-cognizable offense against the driver for reckless driving. The driver, Salahuddin Ata Mohammad, 31, was warned about the consequences of his actions before being let go. This incident took place at 3 AM on January 8. Police emphasized the importance of safe driving and warned the driver about severe penalties for future violations.
Frequent collisions have raised alarms. A senior railway official shared that they’ve repeatedly contacted the BMC about this issue, with the latest letter sent on January 6, 2025. In 2024 alone, there were 38 reported incidents of vehicles hitting height gauges, including those near Sion Hospital and the Dadar side of the bridge.
The problem has worsened since the BMC raised the road height under the bridge to prevent flooding. This change reduced the clearance, especially in the middle lane, which has become a hotspot for collisions. The minimum clearance should be 5.0 m, ideally 5.5 m in urban areas, but the current clearance in the middle lanes is only 4.29 m.
After the latest incident, the railway filed an FIR against the truck driver, and local police are investigating. Many drivers involved in these accidents are from outside Mumbai and may not know about the height restrictions. Plus, they often use Google Maps, which prioritizes speed over safety for heavy vehicles.
“Owners should inform their drivers about sensitive routes instead of relying on Google Maps. The responsibility lies more with the owners than the drivers,” a railway official pointed out.
Most accidents happen at night or in the early hours when drivers tend to speed and sometimes miss warning signs. “Truck drivers often ignore the ‘bridge area’ signs, leading to these accidents,” the official added. However, drivers argue that poor visibility at night is a major issue.