Transport, road infra in a mess, commute to BKC full of hurdles

It’s one of the priciest commercial business districts in the country housing some of the biggest corporate and MNCs, where builders snapped up plots for hundreds of crores over the past two decades to construct glass-façade fancy towers. And yet, for the couple of lakhs people who visit Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) every day, accessing this prominent business district is a nightmare.Among lakhs of office-goers who use public transport to travel to BKC, it might be difficult to find a handful who arrive at work comfortably in a pleasant mood. The rigours of the daily commute take a toll on their mental well-being like steadily dripping water corrodes a rock—with no respite.The rough welcome starts as one descends the Bandra East station exit only to be surrounded by shrieking, gutkha chewing auto drivers. The obstacle race involves navigating the strip of road leading to the Bandra metropolitan magistrate’s court. The route is marred by rampant encroachment, traffic, haphazard parking and overflowing filth.Lawyers practising at the court face these challenges daily. “It is a major inconvenience for lawyers and clients, many of whom walk from the station,” said lawyer Amit Mishra.Another angry lawyer, Adnan Mookhtiar, told Mumbai Mirror, “The path from the station to the court is worse than walking through the flames of hellfire. The footpath is dug up and the skywalk removed. Why don’t any IAS, IPS, judge, minister or MLA take this path and walk to their offices? You will see pedestrians pushing each other to walk without being hit by a vehicle in the extremely limited space available. This road is used by nearly 1 lakh pedestrians daily as it connects Bandra station to BKC and all important govt offices and courts.”“The skywalk that was constructed at Bandra East about 15 years ago and later dismantled used to witness heavy pedestrian footfall. It connected to the station bridge and could be used for accessing the magistrate’s court, offices in the vicinity and all the way up to Kalanagar. Be it BMC or MMRDA, the authorities have shown insensitivity to the needs of people,” said Rishi Aggarwal, convener of Walking Project, a citizens’ movement advocating for pedestrian rights.As for the cartel of auto drivers ope- rating outside the bustling station, the less said the better. Their persistent refusals have been problematic for over a decade. Earlier, RTO officials who attempted enforcement faced intense hostility, with one officer actually getting assaulted.In fact, you hear the auto drivers before you see them. “BKC diamond... BKC diamond...” shouted a group of men at the foot of the station stairs during a test drive by Mumbai Mirror, pointing to each descending stranger.“How much to Jio?” we asked. “Jio World or Convention?” “Convention.” “30.” “What about NMACC? Nita Mukesh Ambani.” “40. Direct is 120.” “Why not go by meter?” “Meter costs Rs 75-80. Why do you want to pay that when you can go for half?” replied adriver, whose rides yield a neat profit of at least Rs 40.BKC is a rich country with poor transport infrastructure. Commuter cousins on the Kurla end also face a harrowing time during morning peak hours owing to auto drivers. And for the hundreds of people who choose to walk all the way to BKC, it is a challenge going past congested narrow lanes that lead to LBS Marg, across which is BKC. BEST has also done precious little to improve frequency, with existing buses packed beyond capacity. “It’s an everyday ordeal waiting 10 minutes to get an auto from Kurla station, then haggling with the driver as he demands Rs 50-60 per passenger, which is twice the standard fare of Rs 90 for reserving the entire auto,” said Vijayendra Bhaavsar, who works in G-block of BKC.An employee from Prakashgad, MSEDCL headquarters in Bandra East, said, “The skywalk has been demolished and it’s chaotic once you exit the station. There is no proper footpath, with encroachments flanking the road and refuse scattered at various locations. One has to be vigilant while walking to avoid injury.”Another office-goer said, “The situation has been the same for years. BKC is one of India’s premier and costliest commercial business districts with global brands, MNCs and corporate headquarters. Office rentals span Rs 250-400 per sqft. But the roads and infrastructure from both Kurla and Bandra are pathetic.”Even so, the scene outside Kurla East station makes Bandra East seem almost luxurious. At 2.45pm on a Monday, the share-an-auto stand offered only two vehicles. “Where to?” asked one driver. “Nita Mukesh Ambani.” “Which gate?” “20.” “The auto goes to gate 15 only. 30 rupees.” “Why not gate 20?” “Too far. Pay Rs 90 for a direct drop.” “Why are there so few rickshaws to BKC from Kurla?” “BKC is very big.” “Why not go by meter?” “Why so many questions? Just sit.”We complied and waited 10 minutes as a man finally took the rear seat but then moved to sit with the driver, who invited two more women—mother and daughter from another auto. “It’s our first time going to BKC,” the mother said. As her daughter opened Google Maps, she asked the driver, “Do you know where this bank is?” “Just sit back and enjoy the breeze,” came the reply. “I’m asking because we’ve passed the location,” she asserted. Meanwhile, our stop arrived. We thanked the driver for getting us to gate 20.Later, outside the US Consulate, we were introduced to an unwritten rulebook while we waited 30 minutes for the shared auto to fill. “There may be others who follow the meter,” we were told when we probed about the ride that costs Rs 40 per seat and 120 direct, “but we’re the sharing auto stand”.Activists Vinay Khade and Maqbool Mujawar have repeatedly petitioned authorities about the malprac- tice in Bandra without success. “We have alerted police and RTO about the menace. Recent enforcement campaigns caught and penalised errant drivers, but these efforts eventually diminished, and the drivers resumed their practices,” Mujawar said.An RTO official countered that there are regular enforcement drives, penalties and public helplines for complaints about refusal, misconduct, overcharging or tampered meters.But passenger rights activist Anil Galgali said despite occasional enforcement and penalties, offending drivers resume operations. “There is insufficient deterrence. Over 3 crore people travel from Kurla to Bandra annually via public and private transport, necessitating improved mass transit in this central business district. Morning travellers yield to auto drivers who charge Rs 40-50 per person. Drivers earn Rs 200 per journey with five passengers,” he said.He claimed that 80% of BKC autos operate illegally. “Establishing official auto stands that are restricted to legal operators using meters would be most effective,” he suggested.Activist Rishi Aggarwal underscored the need for world-class walking infrastructure, like New York and Singapore. “Investing in pedestrian infrastructure is a cost-effective solu- tion, unlike the exorbitant expenditure on projects like the coastal road,” he said.Walking Project has released a ‘pedestrian manifesto’ offering concrete steps to transform mobility, accessibility and sustainability in MMR. Aggarwal emphasised the role of MLAs in implementing these measures. “In the context of walkability, MLAs must prioritise the implementation of Indian Road Congress guidelines for pedestrian infrastructure and enforce street vendor and parking policies,” he said.Anuj Puri, chairman, Anarock Group, said, “BKC is a major commercial hub housing several multinationals. Following its commercial growth by more than 300% over the last decade, residential and retail development has also gained momentum over the last 4-5 years. BKC is one of the most sought-after residential hubs for NRIs, HNI investors, company guesthouses and CXOs of leading corporates—mainly those who prefer to live near their workplace. The high purchasing power of these professionals has driven the investment here.”He said, “Various infra projects including the upcoming Metro station and the bullet train project add to its appeal. Major commercial projects are under construction.” As per Anarock data, office rentals in the area are between Rs 350 and Rs 400 per sqft.