22 February,2026 07:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Arpika Bhosale
Richard Fernandes whizzes past pedestrians as he makes his way to the Metro on skateboard. PICS/SATEJ SHINDE
A month ago, the news that Mumbai had finally seen a dip in the number of deaths on the railway system by seven per cent in 2025 as compared to the previous year, was plastered across city dailies and social media handles. Most had mixed feelings about the "happy" development prompting the rhetorical question: Are we really celebrating lower number of deaths?
But the illusion of safety was shattered last Saturday, February 14, when the city was once again exposed to an all-too-familiar scene. They were the visuals of a man trapped in a mangled autorickshaw, hauntingly moaning in pain, flashing on our television and cellphone screens. Later identified as Ramdhan Yadav, who was declared dead on arrival at the hospital where he was taken. It had been a 45 minute ordeal for the rescuers to cut him out of the autorickshaw.
But here is the reality of under-construction and a badly-managed Mumbai. At any moment we can drown in a pothole, fall off a train, be mangled by steel rods, or, be crushed under a slab or a billboard. It feels like we are competing in a real-life Squid Game daily. Like the participants in the critically acclaimed 2021 series that takes a dig at the capitalist structure, the desperate-to-earn-a-living Mumbaikar heads out the door and into what feels like a survival challenge, designed (or lacking thereof) by the civic authorities.
The failure of the State to take concrete steps (regardless of who is in power) to make the city safer, has prompted us to ask: How does and how can the average Mumbaikar survive their city?
For pedestrians and office goers who live in and around Malad's Marve Road, the discussion around how Richard Fernandes gets home has been around two-and-a-half-years old. That's usually because Fernandes whizzes past them towards the Malad Metro station almost every morning. His means of transport? A skateboard, a hobby/interest he picked up when he was 15 years old. "I grew up in Bandra, but I moved to Malad around two-and-a-half years ago, and when I began to use the Metro, skateboarding to the station seemed natural for me," says Fernandes.
Richard Fernandes
The 36-year-old who works in an experiential marketing agency in Marol gets off at Metro's Marol station and again gets on the skateboard and glides through the traffic. "I leave at around 9.30 am from my apartment, jump on my skateboard, and it takes about seven to eight minutes, depending on the traffic," he adds.
At Marol Naka, most earthly beings take an auto-sharing ride that costs around R10 to 15, which Fernandes says he did try at first. "I still do that sometimes, especially during the monsoon. But more often than not, since the road to work is sort of a very, very gentle slope, it provides good conditions to use the skateboard," he says.
But how does he manoeuvre the traffic vortex of Marol? A little bit of common sense and skill on the skateboard, "If I'm taking my skateboard, even if I have to listen to music, I keep one ear open. So if anyone's honking at me, I get out of their way. But other times, I am always looking for those spaces where there are gaps in the traffic. And because it's a skateboard and if there is a rough patch on the road, I can just pick my skateboard up, walk two steps and throw my skateboard back down onto the road," he says.
Talking about how Marol too has its fair share of civic work that disrupts him from rolling on forward, he says, "About three months ago, there was construction happening at many different places. So the amount of distance I ended up getting off the skateboard and walking was much more," he says, "As you know, our civic authorities love to look for buried treasure in our city," he says matter-of-factly.
Fernandes explains that there is a freedom he experiences on a skateboard that he doesn't feel while sharing an autorickshaw and walking, "I want people to understand that we don't have to let our jobs or what we do define us. Which is why on Fridays I actually wear formals, the whole pants and shirt and belt and formal shoes and still skateboard it to work," he says, "We don't need commuting in the city to take away from who we are, and I hope that by doing this, someone who sees me on a skateboard can go and infuse a bit of themselves in their daily lives," he adds.
I was tired, and so was my spine. The reckless auto drivers, combined with jam-packed roads, potholes and uneven surfaces, and spending Rs 600 a day, prompted me to try and experiment. I decided to walk to Bangur Nagar metro station, which is a five minute walk from my home in Goregaon West, and change three lines to reach BKC metro station, which is a 7-8 minute walk from my office.
Aastha Atray Banan on her daily walk from her home in Goregaon West to Bangur Nagar metro station
The experiment worked. I now spend one hour in travel, but it's moving, and I get to sit or stand in AC, and I do this for Rs 120 a day. I go from Bangur Nagar to DN Nagar, then change to go to Marol, and then change to reach BKC. The signage at all stations will help you transition seamlessly. It takes some time to get used to, but it becomes muscle memory soon. The best thing: You get in your 10,000 steps. Map it out for any of the locations you live at. It's possible!"
Narendra Patil. FILE PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
Narendra Patil is known to help people at Dadar station. He not only guides people on how to go from the Central to Western Railway, but also tells them about pick-up points for buses and directs them to places where newcomers can have a nibble and rest. Patil was inspired to do so during the COVID pandemic, when he saw many confused commuters in the city. "I am getting old now," says Patil, who has lately been suffering from knee pain, "But I think just helping confused people who might be looking for the long-distance bus stops at Dadar TT, is something I contribute towards a city that has given me so much," he adds. Well, Patil kaka, you are exactly why we love our city so much.
Potholes at Sant Rohidas marg in Dharavi. FILE PIC/ATUL KAMBLE
Hiraj Laljani works in the communications department of an animal welfare group. Around one-and-a-half years ago, Laljani moved to Mira Road from Kandivli, since the Metro from Mira Road to Dahisar was set to begin soon. Laljani was already frustrated that his previous work place, that was located in Andheri, was an uphill battle to commute from Mira Road.
"I was already frustrated that my previous work place, that was located in Andheri, was an uphill battle to commute from Mira Road. I would go to Dahisar East Metro station in an autorickshaw, but finding an autorickshaw in peak morning hours was becoming a huge hassle for me. Then I would take the metro to Andheri and then finally another autorickshaw to the office," says Laljani expanding on his exhaustive schedule that most of us can relate to. "So I began to look for a job which is completely work from home," he adds. Around a month into the new remote job, he seems happier, "I can wake up at a time that suits me. I can eat at a time that suits me. I feel more in control of my schedule," he says.
Road-digging is doubled with the ongoing construction of a mono rail line at Currey Road Bridge
Aseem Hattangadi founded a travel/company called the Travel Therapist six years ago, but what stands out about the 45-year-old is the fact that he began working from home when the concept was probably considered career suicide.
"I was always in the travel industry, my dad did it too. Around seven months before the lockdown, I started my own company," he says, "I wanted to be in charge of my own schedule and not spend my time travelling. Even now, when I have to take meetings, I go and meet people in cafés in areas that are convenient to both of us, and I am managing beautifully," he adds.
"Over the next five years, a large Metro network is expected to be added, this is an investment that the city will not make again for a while. But the efficiency and productivity gains of this huge investment, will depend entirely on how people will access it. We need to move away from building single-mode transit corridors, to multi-modal transportation where all these diverse modes are integrated thoughtfully, and seamlessly. For instance, streets with adequate shade, tree cover, functional drainage networks, can help build walking infrastructure that is safe and helps integrate the different modes. An âinfrastructure first approach; integration is an afterthought and seldom planned for."
Large potholes on the Western Express Highway at Santa Cruz Vakola have caused massive traffic jams. FILE PIC/NIMESH DAVE
"Things have changed since the COVID [pandemic], and companies do understand the advantages of work-from-home but at the same time, I think it is a responsibility we need to have to ourselves to choose jobs that work or don't work for you. If you cannot travel, then I think we must proactively try and find a combination that works for us."
Christina Evers
