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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.

The Governor Strikes Back

Updated: Jan 23, 2025

Tensions between the Tamil Nadu Governor and the State Legislature has evolved from simmering discomfort to a full-blown constitutional soap opera.

Tamil Nadu Governor
Tamil Nadu

The latest episode in Tamil Nadu’s unscripted constitutional drama unfolded in Patna, where Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu staged a dramatic walkout from the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference. His gripe? Governor R.N. Ravi’s alleged penchant for trampling constitutional principles, disrespecting the state’s century-old assembly, and apparently, his knack for being an uncooperative guest at Tamil Nadu’s democratic table.


Appavu’s outburst wasn’t entirely unexpected. His speech was a fiery critique of what he sees as the Governor’s overreach. Accusing Ravi of skipping his constitutional duty to deliver the Assembly’s annual address, editing speeches with a political scalpel, and even offending national pride by disrespecting the anthem, Appavu painted a picture of a Governor more at home as a provocateur than a unifier.


The Speaker even revisited dusty recommendations from commissions past—the Sarkaria, Punchhi, and Rajamannar reports—to argue that Governors should be answerable to the legislature they serve. His proposed solution? Allow state legislatures to boot Governors out of office through resolutions, a move as radical as it is unlikely to pass in India’s current political climate. Predictably, Harivansh shut the idea down faster than a misbehaving MP’s mic.


The Governor-versus-state saga isn’t limited to Tamil Nadu. Across India, especially in opposition-ruled states, Governors seem to have swapped their ceremonial turbans for political helmets. Appavu’s grievances included everything from holding up welfare schemes to using their chancellorship of state universities to push the Union government’s agenda—a violation, he claimed, of constitutional federalism.


If Ravi’s actions have drawn Tamil Nadu’s ire, his critics argue they also expose a broader malaise in India’s federal setup. Governors were envisioned as neutral umpires in the Centre-State match, not the captain of the visiting team. Yet, Appavu’s claim of Governors acting as Delhi’s enforcers has gained traction, with examples cropping up from Maharashtra to Kerala. While this tactic might bring short-term political gains for the ruling party at the Centre, it risks deepening the Centre-State divide and turning federalism into farce.


Adding linguistic fuel to the fire, Appavu also took a jab at the Union government for its increasing reliance on Hindi in parliamentary bills. He dubbed this a violation of Article 348 of the Constitution, which requires English translations, leaving non-Hindi-speaking states feeling left out of the national legislative conversation.


Appavu’s walkout underscores the larger, unspoken question of the Governor’s relevance in modern India. Critics argue that Governors, a colonial relic designed to keep rebellious provinces in check, have outlived their utility. Their powers, ambiguously defined in the Constitution, leave ample room for mischief—a loophole exploited by successive governments to settle political scores.


For Ravi, being the protagonist (or antagonist, depending on your vantage point) of Tamil Nadu’s political drama is likely a feature, not a bug, of his role. Governors in opposition-ruled states often find themselves in the spotlight, whether it is vetoing legislation, delaying bills or rewriting ceremonial speeches. The Tamil Nadu government’s frustration is about a perceived pattern of Governors treating state governments as if they were branch offices of the Union.


If Governors and state governments continue to treat each other with mutual suspicion—and outright disdain—India’s federalism could end up as little more than a paper tiger, enshrined in the Constitution but trampled in practice.


For now, Tamil Nadu’s drama remains unresolved. Appavu may have walked out, but his demands, whether for constitutional amendments or respect for state autonomy, aren’t likely to vanish. Meanwhile, Ravi continues to enjoy his role as the lightning rod of Tamil Nadu’s political tempest. The question is not whether this drama will continue but rather who will have the last laugh: the Speaker, the Governor or perhaps the people of Tamil Nadu, watching this tragicomedy play out with equal parts bemusement and exasperation.

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