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By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

Lost in Transport

Mumbai’s grand transport infrastructure is undermined by potholes, Poor discipline and a last-mile gaps that keeps it crawling Mumbai: It is morning time, and Pawan Khandelwal is all set to leave for work. A creative lead at an ad agency in Malad, Mumbai, Khandelwal should take 12 to 15 minutes to reach the office, but that rarely happens because of the traffic, poor road quality and lack of civic sense among co-drivers on the road. He mostly ends up reaching the office in 30 to 40 minutes....

Lost in Transport

Mumbai’s grand transport infrastructure is undermined by potholes, Poor discipline and a last-mile gaps that keeps it crawling Mumbai: It is morning time, and Pawan Khandelwal is all set to leave for work. A creative lead at an ad agency in Malad, Mumbai, Khandelwal should take 12 to 15 minutes to reach the office, but that rarely happens because of the traffic, poor road quality and lack of civic sense among co-drivers on the road. He mostly ends up reaching the office in 30 to 40 minutes. Khandelwal firmly believes that road construction is not a major issue for traffic. “The road under construction is not a big issue because they usually don’t take very long to repair the roads. But even after their work is done, it is not done perfectly. At times when they are digging up the road for other purposes, they often leave a bump or a pothole,” he said. He gives an example, “One can see it on the western express highway. There are so many bumps. We call it a highway, but we can’t even drive at 15 km/h because it is not fixed properly.” He also blames people for not following traffic rules, which adds to the problem. Traffic Woes Although there are coastal roads and metros available, the traffic still seems to be a problem for many residents. A media professional and a daily commuter, Charlene Flanagan has been travelling in Mumbai for many years now. There is not much difference in her experience of the traffic congestion. From her experience, she believes the coastal roads and metros have not completely accomplished the mission of curbing traffic congestion. She says, “As a resident of Mumbai and as a person with a valid driver’s licence, I would say the traf f ic hasn’t really changed. It is still as congested, and whether the coastal roads have helped depends on the time of the day you leave and whether you are going against the traffic or along with the traffic.” The pedestrians also face problems. Saloni Mehta, a theatre artiste, says, “I prefer walking to my destinations. For example, I live in Versova, and if I want to see a play in the Prithvi Theatre, I will take a half-hour walk. However, this one time, I could not reach the venue, not just because of the traffic but also because there were no pavements left to walk on. The roads are dug up, and every road is just half a road.” Mumbai’s average speed covered is 5.2 km per 15 minutes. During the peak traffic hours in the morning, when most people travel to their workplace, the average speed is 18.5 km/h. It is important to understand the issue and address it with a solution. Sudhir Badami, an author of the book ‘Matter of Equitability - Making Commuting in Mumbai Enviable’, explains why people still prefer to use cars over metros, “The metro line 3 has definitely taken away some car users. But it has not taken away sufficient numbers of car users to make a difference in the state of road congestion. The reason behind this is essentially the last-mile connectivity in areas where the Aqua Line or Line 7 operates, especially in suburban areas. In the city area, it is supported by good BEST services on the one hand, and taxis being available near the metro stations on the other hand. But most car users still opt for using their cars, as public transport currently does provide assured exclusivity, comfort and good frequency, not forgetting last mile connectivity. The Coastal Road sees very few cars compared to the number of cars on Mumbai’s Roads. Badami, as a transportation analyst, says, “Mumbai has approximately 16 Lakhs motor cars, out of which only about 55,000 seem to be using coastal roads. It is such a minuscule proportion for whom so much has been spent. This is largely because in the city, people don’t go from one end of the city to the other end. They normally start from in between and go somewhere in between. If there is not much time saving for the shorter stretches, then people are not likely to take it, and there will be continued congestion on city roads.” “In general, the necessity of the last-mile connectivity is an important part, but the greater part will be how to get car users onto the public transport,” says Badami. Public transport must provide near exclusivity, comfort and safety to a car-using commuter for migration to take place. This is where the importance of last-mile connectivity is felt. Air Pollution The slow-moving traffic also adds to the air pollution in the city several times more than when they are moving at optimum speeds, he says. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Mumbai, Anil Kumbhare, denies that there is much traffic congestion in Mumbai as compared to five years back. He credits the coastal roads for curbing the traffic. He says, “Earlier, there used to be bumper-to bumper traffic near Haji Ali. That has come down drastically. As coastal roads shape, the traffic will go down.” He also adds that there is traffic congestion in the morning hours as people are travelling for work. But there is no traffic jam. Although coastal roads have helped, there are still pockets of the city that face traffic congestion every day. This can be solved with careful planning and execution.

Ameet Satam’s Big Test

For a party that revels in bold strokes, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) latest move in Mumbai looks almost understated. The ruling party has quietly appointed AmeetSatam, a three-time legislator from Andheri (West), as president of its city unit, replacing Ashish Shelar. At first glance it seemed like routine reshuffling. In reality, it was anything but. The decision signals a recalibration of strategy as the BJP girds for next year’s high-stakes elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India’s wealthiest civic body and a long-time bastion of the undivided Shiv Sena.


Satam, 49, is no lightweight. Born into a middle-class Maharashtrian household, he cut his political teeth under the tutelage of Gopinath Munde, a party stalwart who embodied the BJP’s early push in Maharashtra. From youth-wing leader to corporator to three-term MLA, his trajectory reflects the classic path of a party organiser who has stayed loyal through thick and thin. His elevation, announced jointly by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state party chief Ravindra Chavan, is meant to project both continuity and renewal: an old-school hand attuned to Mumbai’s urban challenges, yet young enough to energise the cadre.


Identity politics looms large in Mumbai, and here too Satam ticks a crucial box. With his Konkan roots and Marathi credentials, he provides ballast against the ‘Marathi asmita’ (pride) plank pushed by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. In a contest where cultural belonging matters as much as governance, the BJP needed a face who could straddle both North Indian and Gujarati migrants (traditional party bases) while reassuring native Mumbaikars. Satam’s appointment is a nod to this balancing act.


There is also a more practical calculation. Ashish Shelar, who led the city unit for three terms, has been rewarded with two cabinet berths in the state government. The party’s ‘one-leader-one-post’ rule required his exit. Satam was not the only name in contention. Pravin Darekar, a former MNS man and once Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, was also considered. But his baggage, including a cooperative-bank scam case, and his shifting party loyalties told against him.


In contrast, Satam’s unblemished record and organisational pedigree made him a safer bet. Behind the scenes, the appointment enhances Fadnavis’ clout. Satam is widely seen as his trusted ally, unlikely to challenge him or carve out an independent fiefdom. That keeps Mumbai BJP firmly tethered to the state leadership at a time when the party cannot afford discord.


The task before Satam is formidable. The BMC, with an annual budget larger than some states, has been run by the Sena for over three decades. In 2017 the BJP won 82 of 227 seats, its best showing yet, but still fell short of dislodging its erstwhile ally. Since the Sena’s split in 2022, the civic polls have assumed outsized significance. Victory here would give the BJP not just bragging rights but also control over lucrative contracts, vast urban projects and patronage networks.


Satam’s early messaging has been sharp. He has attacked ‘aspirational toilets’ and other extravagant civic projects as symbols of corruption and waste, calling for probes and transparency. It is a line designed to resonate with citizens weary of potholes, stalled infrastructure and the perception of graft that has long dogged the BMC. At the same time, he has laid out priorities in mobility, housing, safety, infrastructure that echo the concerns of an expanding, anxious metropolis. Framing these within the larger narrative of protecting Mumbai’s identity, he hopes to neutralise Sena’s cultural rhetoric.


Organisation will be key. The BJP aims to triple its mandals (local units) in the city, creating a denser network of ward-level committees. Satam’s background as a grassroots worker is expected to help in this exercise, but time is short. Mobilising cadres across communities - Marathi-speaking locals, North Indian migrants, Gujarati traders, and newer arrivals - will test both his political dexterity and his managerial skills.


None of this guarantees success. The Sena (UBT), though weakened by defections, still commands deep loyalty in many Marathi neighbourhoods. The Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) remain factors in pockets. Moreover, the BJP’s own brand of urban politics, which emphasises muscular nationalism alongside promises of efficiency, has yet to fully convince sceptical Mumbaikars who judge parties by potholes filled and trains unclogged rather than rhetoric.


Still, the symbolism is clear. In Satam, the BJP has chosen not a celebrity or a powerbroker but a disciplined apparatchik, a reminder that in local elections, organisational stamina often trumps star power.


(The Writer is a communication professional. Views Personal.)

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