Maharashtra bandh: 11 buses vandalised; Thane auto drivers assaulted

An unusually empty road leading to the sea link in Bandra on Monday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Commuters found themselves stuck without conveyance in most areas of the city with BEST deciding to stay off the roads for most part of the day. Eleven BEST buses were vandalised earlier in the day. Cabs and autos, too, plied cautiously, with only trains operating without a hitch. Shopkeepers were angry at being forced to stay closed in a festive week. Most schools switched to online mode for the day as some teachers found it hard to get to school. In Thane, auto and cab drivers said Shiv Sena workers were quite aggressive, with protesters beating up those who were working.

The bandh partially impacted Mumbai's public transport, with 11 BEST buses being vandalised and blockages on the Eastern Express Highway leading to traffic jams for some time.

While only a few BEST services plied on Monday, Central Railway, Western Railway and Mumbai Metro trains operated seamlessly with heavy security.

RTO officers at Andheri East help commuters find an auto to reach their destinations. Pic/Satej Shinde

"Since Sunday night, 11 BEST buses have been damaged. Bandh-related protests were reported at Dharavi, Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar, Charkop, Oshiwara, Deonar, near InOrbit mall, leading to damages. We sought police protection and buses were taken out of depots only after an assessment of the situation," BEST spokesperson Manoj Varade said on Monday.

"We operated 1,833 buses till 6.45 pm on Monday. The normal, daily turnout is about 3,000," Varade said. He added that of the 11 vandalised buses, 10 belonged to the BEST Undertaking, while one to a wet lease contractor.

Cabs, autos and taxis operated cautiously in the suburbs, as many avoided taking out their vehicles until 3 pm, after which services were slowly normalised. Kaali peelis were also partially affected, and cabbies at the airport limited their operations.

Harassment at Thane

Shiv Sena workers were quite aggressive at Thane, with protesters beating up auto drivers who were working. "All auto drivers passing the lane near Tembhi naka in Thane were hit with a stick as they passed. Many autos were also forcibly stopped. All of us had to face assault and abuse for operating autos during the bandh. We had to face it quietly, as there was no option," an auto driver said on condition of anonymity.

Commuters at Thane station were also inconvenienced. "We were at the SATIS stop outside Thane station, but there were neither buses nor staff at the counter. Autos were also reluctant to ply to many locations. There were saffron flags everywhere with groups questioning autos," said Professor Mahadevi Desai, a commuter at Thane.

"People have already been harassed by lockdown and this compulsory bandh by the Maharashtra government was uncalled for. The government should not do this, as every lost day means loss of revenue and those working on daily wages are affected badly," said Sharvari Jampkar, an office executive.