One Year of Lockdown: How Mumbaikars grapple with the challenges of commuting during the Covid-19 pandemic

A year after the first lockdown, Mumbaikars are faced with different challenges while commuting in the city. File Pic

A little less than a year ago, Mumbai went under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and local trains, the city's most favoured mode of transport, also ground to a halt.

Not only are Mumbai locals a cheap way to commute, they also offer the best connectivity in this mostly linear city, so it is no surprise that the iterant restrictions on travelling by them proved quite a challenge for the city's denizens.

While many Mumbaikars still work from home, there are several others who don't have the luxury and have been returning to work at their offices over the last few months. When they were barred from using the locals, commuters took to the roads, which is an expensive and time-consuming way to get to work.

Most people have to resort to multi-modal transport, which most often than not does not include local trains, which still have certain restrictions. Using a combination of a bus, autorickshaw and even the metro, commuting in Mumbai is getting more tedious than before. For those who can afford Uber and Ola to travel to their workplaces, their daily expenses have skyrocketed, because they pay a premium to simply avoid crowds.

Cryselle D'souza, a Prabhadevi-based education professional, used to commute by train, metro and autorickshaw earlier to reach her office in Andheri. One year later, what used to be an affordable commute is no longer so. "With the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, I have to use cab services, and while that was not necessary earlier because I used public transport, I pay more than INR 300 one way now, and that is not feasible for me. Luckily, I do not have to travel that often, but when I am asked to commute regularly, it is going to burn a hole in my pocket."

Virar-based Fouzia Bukhari has different concerns, but is also hopeful for the near future. The advertising professional does not have to travel to work often, but when she does, it is by train. Bukhari is thankful that the crowds have reduced, but says there are many people who are still not taking the pandemic and its risks seriously - she says many people don't wear masks on the local trains. "When the trains were shut, it got difficult because Uber and Ola were the only options. A lot of people started taking buses, too. However, due to people shifting to roadways, there is a big traffic issue," she says, adding that it has become easier now that the trains have started for a few hours, so that people are able to plan their travel accordingly.

On the flip side, even as burdened commuters are taking more autorickshaws, auto drivers complain that passengers constantly bargain with them, more so since the basic fare in Mumbai has recently gone up.

Dwarka Chaurasia, who drives an autorickshaw in north Mumbai, says things get really hard for him, especially when people bargain, because it is not affordable for drivers anymore. He says the situation has degenerated into a tug-of-war between commuter and auto drivers.

"Firstly, there is a restriction on the number of people we can take; we are also hit by rising fuel prices. So, it becomes difficult when people bargain with us in a sharing rickshaw, as we have to cover the cost, with no guarantee of getting a passenger, especially early in the mornings," says Chaurasia, who did not earn much last year. He says he only hopes things will get better, but is weary of another lockdown being announced in the city, because of the rise in the number of cases.

It is no different for Rajesh Pandey, another autorickshaw driver in Mumbai. Pandey's earnings also took a steep hit last year, yet he says he is happy with how much he earns now, and considers his profession a blessing, rather than choosing to complain about it.

"I did not earn much the last year, and the high fuel prices aren't helping either, but I am able to earn as much as I can, so we will have to just take what we get from now on," Pandey says. The proud father has pinned his hopes on his son, who is currently pursuing a computer course. Maybe the latter's education will help change the family's fortunes, he says.