Mumbai Police warns commuters against making Atal Setu a picnic spot

It was indeed a proud moment for the nation to celebrate the engineering marvel when Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (January 12) last week threw open the 21.8-km-long Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge for commuters.

However, the longest sea bridge in India which took almost a decade to come to fruition at a cost of Rs. 17,840 crore, has fallen prey to commuters’ whimsical ways who have turned it into a ‘picnic spot’ within days, leisurely stopping by and taking selfies or photos on the bridge, forcing Mumbai Traffic Police to issue warning against such irresponsible behaviour. Autorickshaw drivers and two-wheelers have also been spotted on the bridge enjoying their ‘selfie’ moment, even though their entry is prohibited.

Taking a serious note of such frolicking by irresponsible commuters, Mumbai Traffic Police on Monday (January 15) issued a warning on social media asking commuters to not indulge in such behaviour or they will booked. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Mumbai Traffic Police wrote, “We agree that Atal Setu is definitely 'worth a watch' but it's also illegal to stop on it & click photos. You will face a FIR if you stop on MTHL.”

The police also posted a collage of four photographs of various commuters stopping their vehicles on the bridge and taking photographs. In one photograph, a couple is climbing atop a stairbox before a group of onlookers. In another taken at nighttime, a woman commuter is sitting atop her car, while three other commuters are seen standing before their car parked behind them in the third photograph.

“Atal Setu, Not a 21.8 km long picnic spot,” the police further wrote in capital letters on the collage with a red warning signage on it.

According to NDTV, the behaviour has left netizens appalled, who are calling for strict action, including hefty fines, against such violators.