Mumbai: Hawk-and-scoot is new game in town

Hawkers with bags on a hanger-like rod are all over the road outside the station. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Citizens taking the SV Road outside Borivli station on the west side have complained about the struggle to negotiate the road due to the increasing hawker menace. The problem has compounded further with the advent of mobile hawkers who move freely on the road. This is apart from the two rows of hawkers - one taking over the footpath and the other sprawled on the road just outside the pavement railing. The easy mobility of hangers makes it easy for hawkers to escape in case of BMC or police raids, and then return just as swiftly too.

Also read: Need to put an end to illegal hawkers issue

Clothes displayed on makeshift hangers. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The majority of these hawkers with hangers hail from Mira Road and Nalasopara. They do not have fixed spots for business, unlike the ones who set up makeshift stalls and have fixed spots demarcated among themselves. When Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials or police personnel raid these places to deal with the menace, the inner two rows of hawkers take time to bundle up their belongings. However, these mobile hawkers easily clear out with their customised hangers. They are also the first ones to return.

More than half of the road is taken over by two types of hawkers, ones with their makeshift stalls outside the footpath and ones with hangers, outside Borivli station. Pic/Anurag Ahire

These three lines of hawkers have turned the around 2-km stretch of the SV Road, between Gora Gandhi Hotel and Moksh Plaza, a traffic nightmare. And all of this is happening right under the noses of the BMC and police as both the Borivli police station and BMC's R Central ward office are on the same road.

‘Traffic nightmare'

Nalin Trivedi, a resident of LT Road in Borivli West who walks to Borivli station daily, said, "Pedestrians and those waiting for buses are obstructed by hawkers selling their wares directly on the pavement and even on the road outside Borivli station (west). This narrows the motorable road, causing traffic jams. This, in turn, leads to constant honking by motorists, causing noise pollution. I walk the 1.2 km distance from my home to the station every day, which should generally take 10-12 minutes. But it takes around 20 minutes to half an hour due to the crowd and traffic snarls."

Hangers with hawkers' wares take up the majority of the footpath outside Borivli station on the west side. Pics/Nimesh Dave

"This is a 90 feet road and a major chunk of it is occupied by hawkers on both sides of the road. The BMC has failed to address the issue, inconveniencing pedestrians. Given that hawkers are operating right under the noses of BMC and police, we won't be surprised if there is a nexus," said Gopal Jhaveri, founder of Mumbai March, a citizens movement.

M Ramanujan, a resident of LIC Colony, said, "Borivli is plagued by three main issues: illegal hawking, careless pedestrian movement, and vehicle parking. Among these, the hawker menace has turned into a major burden. They take over half of the road in the evening, making it challenging for both motorists and pedestrians. The problem gets worse as hundreds of people exit the platform on to this stretch each time a train arrives. Despite crackdowns, hawkers return to the same location."

A hanger of clothes, which is easy to move, takes up part of the road

"Many of the commuters' hassles are the result of hawkers encroaching on the roads outside the station. If these hawkers are evicted, there would be adequate room for the public to walk," said Harish Pandey, secretary, New link Road Residents Association.

Angry tweets

Citizens have also taken to social media, especially Twitter, to air their grievances about this issue. Rajiv Sharma tweeted, "SV Road outside Borivali Stn West is packed with hawkers. There is hardly any space for pedestrians and vehicles to pass right from the main station to Moksh Plaza. This is resulting in chaos. Pl, remove these hawkers immediately. [sic]"

A BMC van (blue) parked on SV near Anupam Store outside Borivli station around 10 am on Wednesday. The van is generally stationed there from 9.30 am to 2 pm every day. During this time, the road remains clear of hawkers

"This is an everyday routine scene, hawkers have but not only occupied footpaths also take 4 to 6 feet extension on SV Road, LT Road near Borivli west station, but sir is also you trying to make Mumbai city for hawkers [sic]," Divyesh Shah tweeted. Giriraj Soni, another Twitter user, tagged the official handle of BMC's R Central ward and posted: "There's no place to walk on SV Road, Borivali West near the railway station due to hawkers. Can we expect any solutions?"

The same spot is filled with hawkers, who set up their makeshift stalls on the road, around 2.30 pm, after the van left the spot

BMC Speak

As per sources in BMC, the civic body is in the process of reconstituting the committee for finalising hawking zones and allotment of hawkers' pitches. "As per the court's direction, there is a need for a committee. However, the committee will have to be reconstituted to start the process again. We had identified spots as hawking zones in all 24 administrative wards. However, we cannot implement the policy using the old spots identified in 2019," said a senior BMC official. He added, "Meanwhile, we have been carrying out eviction drives at ward level from time to time."