Thane: Cops to be deployed at railway station to discipline errant rickshaw drivers, says TMC chief

TMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar addresses a meeting of senior police and civic officials at the TMC headquarters. Pic/TMC PRO

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) commissioner Abhijit Bangar has instructed the police, including the traffic department, should jointly take responsibility to depute personnel during morning and evening rush hour to discipline errant rickshaw drivers in the Thane railway station area.

In a review meeting, Bangar said that 150 meters of the area around the city railway station has been cleared of hawkers for the safe movement of people, but police's support is required to maintain this situation.

TMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar held a meeting with deputy commissioner of traffic Vinaykumar Rathod, Thane City Circle Deputy Commissioner Ganesh Gawde, and civic officials.

During the meeting, the TMC commissioner said that the civic body was taking all measures required to keep the area around the railway station permanently free of hawkers. "Similar discipline should be followed in keeping errant rickshaw drivers in check and make the environment safe for passengers," Bangar said. He also requested police cooperation to discipline the errant rickshaw drivers in the station area.

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He asked the city police to deploy their teams between 8 am and 11 pm every day in two shifts in the railway station area to keep an eye on autorickshaw drivers.

"We received complaints that women and elderly passengers are being inconvenienced due to the heavy rush of passengers entering and exiting the Thane railway station. While the rickshaw drivers are seen parking the rickshaw elsewhere and forcing the passengers to go directly to their desired destination. All rickshaw drivers must stand in queue and should not harass the passengers. Police personnel will be stationed in this area from 8 am to 3 pm and 3 pm to 11 pm for the same," Bangar said.

The TMC commissioner also asked officials to take action against hawkers if seen in the Thane railway station after 11 pm.

Bangar also directed the electricity department of the TMC to provide adequate lights under the SATIS bridge at night and said that action will be taken in this regard in two days.