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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.

Economic Shock and Awe

Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs on China may not be the reckless gambit that financial elites seem to think.

President Donald Trump’s announcement of an immediate increase in tariffs on Chinese imports to a staggering 125 percent sent predictable shockwaves through global markets and a flurry of commentary in chancelleries across the world. While some saw disorder, others witnessed design in that the move was the clearest signal yet of the United States reorienting its trade policy not just for advantage but for survival in a new geopolitical age.


The move came alongside a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs against other countries, an olive branch extended to allies who, as Trump noted, did not retaliate. China, however, was treated differently. In singling out Beijing, the Trump administration has clarified what many in Washington have long tiptoed around: that the global trading system, once a tool of shared prosperity, has been bent by China’s statist capitalism into an engine of asymmetry.


For decades, American presidents tiptoed around China’s protectionism, currency manipulation, intellectual property theft and opaque regulatory practices, concerned all the while that open confrontation would destabilise markets or offend diplomatic niceties. Trump characteristically has chosen confrontation over caution, bluntness over bureaucracy. That may upset elites on both coasts, but it reflects a growing consensus in Middle America and on Capitol Hill that the world’s second-largest economy has been playing by its own rules while enjoying the privileges of the system.


The tariff increase is undeniably steep. But it is also a message that the days of subsidising China’s rise through lopsided trade are over. Trump’s statement on Truth Social, in which he called out China’s “lack of respect for world markets,” may have lacked diplomatic varnish, but it captured the mood in Washington, and increasingly, in Brussels and Tokyo too.


Critics have painted the escalation as reckless, and the President’s rhetoric as erratic. Yet there is historical precedent for bold disruption. In 1971, President Richard Nixon shocked the world with a sweeping set of economic measures that included a 10 percent surcharge on imports. Then, as now, the rationale was to assert American leverage in a global system seen as out of balance. Nixon’s move, like Trump’s, was decried as a declaration of trade war. But it succeeded in forcing America’s trading partners to the table and for a time, restored faith in the domestic economy.


There is, of course, a risk that history repeats itself too neatly. Nixon’s ‘New Economic Policy’ eventually sowed confusion among allies and failed to reverse deeper structural trends. Trump would do well to avoid such strategic overreach. But in a sense, his approach is more disciplined than it appears. By pausing tariffs on 75 countries, he has kept open the door to partnership. By isolating China, he has made clear the distinction between allies and adversaries.


The immediate market reaction was telling. The Dow surged by 2,500 points, the Nasdaq posted its best day in 24 years, and the S&P 500 jumped over 6 percent. Oil prices climbed and the dollar strengthened. While some of the gains reflected relief at the 90-day pause, much of the rebound can be attributed to clarity. For months, global markets had been bracing for the unknown. Now, they are being given a map even if it leads into turbulent waters.


Trump’s off-the-cuff style remains a concern for technocrats. His remarks about the bond market are unlikely to reassure investors looking for meticulous strategy. Yet even there, the picture is more complex. The fact that he was briefed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and responded to concerns in the bond market suggests that, behind the showmanship, the machinery of economic governance is still functioning.


Much will depend on how China responds. President Xi Jinping faces his own domestic pressures and has shown little appetite for economic capitulation. But Trump’s gamble is that the pain of exclusion from American markets will be greater than the pride of holding the line. It is not a foolish bet.

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