BMC restricts ‘musical road’ hours on Mumbai Coastal Road after residents’ complaints

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has restricted the operational hours of the “musical road” stretch on the city’s Coastal Road near Breach Candy following complaints from residents over noise disturbance.

The experimental ‘musical patch’, introduced on the Dharamveer Swaraj Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road on February 12, produces the tune of the song ‘Jai Ho’ from the film Slumdog Millionaire when vehicles pass over specially designed grooves at a speed of 70–80 kmph.

While the feature was aimed at encouraging regulated driving speeds and offering a unique driving experience, residents in the Breach Candy area raised concerns over continuous noise, particularly during night hours.

According to officials, complaints were received from local groups stating that the sound was audible across more than 25 residential buildings, affecting sleep and causing inconvenience, especially to elderly residents.

Following the complaints, civic officials conducted sound level checks in nearby buildings and recorded noise levels of 60–65 decibels.

However, the BMC has decided to keep the musical stretch non-operational between 7 pm and 11 am.

During these hours, barricades will be placed to prevent vehicles from passing over the grooved section, effectively silencing the musical output at night.

Officials said the musical feature will remain functional between 11 am and 7 pm, allowing motorists to experience it during the day.

The civic body clarified that the musical strips will not be removed, and the move is aimed at balancing public interest with residents’ comfort.