Dividers of Mumbai: Roads and Class

By Chantelle Cabral, TYBA 

“A Mumbai Police officer, who was off duty, heroically rushed to save a man's life on a local train platform. The man had fallen while attempting to board a moving train, nearly slipping under it.” (A. Thakur, 2024). Life in Mumbai has always been full of chaos, there is no pause to this city of dreams. Everyone is on the run to reach their goals even if it is catching a running train which is always running beyond capacity during the peak hours,  prioritization of reaching one's destination at the cost of life, has been normalized, by the forces of neoliberalism, and the strained, and non-evolving public infrastructure. 

The city is known for many things, but the never-ending traffic has now been interwoven into our identity as a “Mumbaikar”. As the financial capital of India, it attracts individuals from diverse backgrounds who come to pursue careers in entertainment, business, and various other fields, all in search of a better quality of life. This influx of people, however, has created significant challenges.

With a land area of only 619 square kilometers, Mumbai's infrastructure struggles to accommodate its population of over 21.6 million residents. As a result, the city has experienced overcrowding and the emergence of new informal settlements, which can be indicative of the socioeconomic pressures faced by many. This rapid urbanization has contributed to severe traffic congestion, becoming a defining aspect of daily life for Mumbaikars.

Mumbai's size limits need to be increased to provide adequate living conditions, and the mass population influx leads to infrastructural strain and resource scarcity. The city's traffic issues are further compounded by inadequate infrastructure. Despite efforts to alleviate congestion, such as expanding road networks and creating sea-linked roads like the new Atal Setu, these solutions often benefit those who can afford private vehicles and reflect the larger problematic trend of prioritizing car-centric infrastructure,  The Atal Setu, for example, is car-centric, while public transport like buses and auto rickshaws are not permitted on this road. Even the charges for the cars using this bridge have to pay a heavy toll.

  “For cars undertaking return journeys using the sea bridge, a toll of Rs 375 will be charged. Monthly and daily passes will be available for Rs 625 and Rs 12,500, respectively.” (India Today, 2024)

Moreover, a large cause for the increased traffic in Mumbai is the increase in the number of vehicles that people possess, a repercussion of car-centric infrastructure. The rich have multiple cars for their private use, while the middle class can afford to take a cab or an auto rickshaw to have a level of comfort in this gridlock traffic and the lower class can only afford to travel in public buses and trains for their daily travel. 

Consequently, those dependent on public transport like buses and trains are made to suffer excessive wait times not just due to traffic but also due to a large-scale  reduction in frequency due to defunding of public transit and car-centric infrastructure, further highlighting the inherent disparity in the city’s transportation system.

Existing forms of public transport like BEST buses are being systematically phased out, pointing out how it is part of a broader agenda of privatization and destruction of public institutional capacity, to promote private capital. (Amchibest, n.d.)If public buses were privatized, Mumbai would face a severe crisis in transportation for its lower-income residents, who rely on the state subsidized Rs 5/- and  Rs 13/- bus fare for their daily commutes. 

 If these public buses get converted to private then the city will crumble as there will be no way of traveling for the lower class as they can afford only a Rs 5/- bus for their daily commute. People will be either forced to use private transport or to find jobs nearby to curtail their spending on traveling. Without state-subsidized options, these individuals would be forced to reconsider their livelihood due to an unaffordable commute or turn to private transport, which many cannot afford. 

Similarly, there also exists a hierarchy within the  city’s literal lifelines- the local trains and system.  The introduction of AC trains and metros has not relieved the pressure on transit, as it is only the economic elites that can afford to travel in A/C trains and metros. The lower class is relegated to Second Class compartments. This stratification has been exacerbated by various development projects within the railway sector, deepening social divisions in daily commutes. Although trains are a public service, the high cost of A/C and First Class tickets—compared to the Rs 10/- Second Class tickets—limits access for economically weaker sections of society.

Thus, it is evident that traffic in Mumbai is more than simply a result of “overcrowding”; it also reflects the city's deeply ingrained socioeconomic inequality. From luxurious vehicles to packed trains, the method of transportation  is symbolic of your social standing in Mumbai.

 The government has initiated several major infrastructure projects in Mumbai, including the Atal Setu Bridge, the Underground Metro, and the recently approved Pod Taxi. The Pod Taxi will connect Bandra and Kurla railway stations via BKC and is scheduled to be operational within three years. According to an official, "As foot traffic is expected to increase with upcoming projects like the bullet train and new commercial developments, the need for efficient last-mile connectivity has become increasingly urgent" (Mehta, 2024).

However, a critical question arises: who truly benefits from these developments? While these projects are touted as advancements, they largely cater to the urban elite who can afford to utilize them, the same elite that can afford private transport and the same elite towards which the car-centric development is catered. For many lower-income residents, these developments remain out of reach due to their economic constraints. Moreover, the construction of these infrastructure projects has led to the displacement of numerous individuals from their homes, often with inadequate compensation or support from the government. For example, recently due to the underground metro construction a road caved in at PnT Colony, Sahar. “A cavity emerged late on Friday in P&T Colony at Sahar Road in Andheri (East) where tunneling work is underway to construct Metro Line 7A. Nine families who reside near the cave-in site were shifted to a nearby hotel by the contractor.” (Mehta, 2024). This incident raises concerns about the displacement of the people and their safety and the safety of this city through the places these metro lines pass through. Is the environment safe? Can it take the toll of the rising development and infrastructural growth this city is going through? This raises concerns about whether the benefits of these projects are equitably distributed or if they merely serve to enhance the lifestyles of the privileged few while exacerbating the hardships of the less fortunate.

The development patterns reflect that these projects serve a select few but largely alienate people from accessing their city, depicting how the economic disparity in Mumbai is the cause of the social stratification that has separated people based on their class and the places that are accessible to them. Mumbai has become a place where infrastructural growth and development are not catered to or accessible to all its residents. 

Mumbai is often described as a city of dreams, but it also embodies the relentless struggles of the invisibilized working class, who keep its machinery running. Traffic congestion and socioeconomic inequality are just two visible symptoms of the deeper challenges that define life in this bustling metropolis. 

Despite the city's growth and advancement, ingrained disparities shape the daily experiences of its residents. Overcrowded streets and unequal access to public services highlight the widening economic gap. Development initiatives often benefit only a privileged few, marginalizing the working class in the process. As Mumbai evolves into a global city, one must question whether it can truly thrive while its people become increasingly divided.

References 

Amchibest. (n.d.). आमची मुंबई आमची बेस्ट! आमची मुंबई आमची बेस्ट! https://amchibest.wordpress.com/ 

Mehta, M. (2024, September 5). Pod taxis to roll out in Bandra Kurla Complex for rides to nearest stations. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/pod-taxis-to-roll-out-in-bkc-for-rides-to-nearest-stations/articleshow/113078008.cms 

Mehta, M. (2024b, August 25). Mumbai: Cave-in near Metro work site at Sahar Road in Andheri, 9 families shifted. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-cave-in-near-metro-work-site-at-sahar-road-in-andheri-9-families-shifted/articleshow/112770194.cms 

Thakur A. (2024), WATCH: Off-Duty cop saves man from tragic train accident at Mumbai station. NDTV.com. https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/watch-off-duty-cop-saves-man-from-tragic-train-accident-at-mumbai-station-6466518