Mumbai: How transport strike crippled commuters in distant suburbs

Commuters crushed together in a bus

A jam-packed picture of a Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) bus plying to Bhiwandi has sparked a debate on how the three-month-old strike by the MSRTC employees has left the commuters at the mercy of public buses that cannot cater to the demands.

There are thousands of commuters who travel between Thane and Bhiwandi daily. Due to the ongoing MSRTC strike, travelling to Thane has become a nightmare for Bhiwandi residents. The Thane Municipal Transport runs a limited number of buses on this route. There is a need for immediate attention to this," a popular local social media account Hope Bhiwandi tweeted with a picture.

"This is high time the authorities increased the frequency of TMT buses as there is no direct connectivity between Bhiwandi and Mumbai," commuter Sheikh Mehfooz said. "We are in the middle of a pandemic and it is not practically possible to follow any rules in such crowded buses. Despite knowing it is a health risk, we still hop on these buses because we do not have an option. Imagine the situation of women in such crowded buses," another commuter said.

Moin Chamadiya, who ply daily by crowded buses, said, "The last bus leaves at 9.30 pm which is very crowded. They usually skip stops and then we are left with no other option. Frequency of buses should be increased to a decent level."

"Till the time the MSRTC strike is on, the TMT should increase the frequency of route 88 bus that runs between Bhiwandi and Mulund, or at least start a new route temporarily between Thane and Bhiwandi township," Abdul Kavi, a commuter, said. "The locals here are suffering because those in charge are not taking any initiative to improve the bus frequency," Ansari Nadeem, a commuter, said.

Commuter Shaheen Avers said, "Some TMT buses return from the bypass and do not ply till Shivaji Chowk. The TMT authorities need to know this." While TMT officials were not available for comment, Rais Shaikh, MLA from Bhiwandi East, said he will look into this issue and take it up with the authorities.