Fearing damage to vehicles, cabs, autos stay off Mumbai's roads

Ramkishor Sharma 64 is having to deal with more than a fair share of the hazards that come with his occupation these days With the monsoons at their peak in Mumbai most of its roads are riddled with potholes making it difficult for auto drivers and cabbies to navigate through them Sharma has been driving autos for over 30 years and says this has been the worst year ever to be in the profession Drilling a hole Many drivers are off the roads due to injuries or because their vehicles are not in a condition to be driven PicsSuresh K K Nimesh Dave ldquoThe condition of the roads this monsoon is scary We are not in this profession by our choice but have to do it for survivalrdquo rued Sharma who drives his auto for over 10 hours every day He suffers from severe backache and a recent visit to the doctor led to complete bed rest for a few days If you spot long winding queues of autos and cabs chances are they are in line to get to the nearest garage The rains coupled with bad roads have forced drivers to increase their garage visits If the taxi and auto unions are to be believed the city will suffer a dearth of autos and taxis if the condition of roads remains poor Anthony Quadros general secretary of Mumbai Taximenrsquos Union said ldquoWe have been getting many complaints from taxi drivers about the damage caused to their vehicles due to the potholes Every year roads are being repaired but the condition still remains the samerdquo Many drivers are off the roads due to injuries or because their vehicles are not in a condition to be driven as a result of potholes And the rest who continue to work are forced to cut down on their work hours About 20 per cent of the total strength of cabs and autos are found in garages every day and the drivers are becoming regulars at city hospitals said the unions Shashank Rao assistant general secretary Mumbai Auto rickshaw Union said ldquoThe condition of roads in the city is extremely poor Apart from the health issues of the drivers even accidents on roads have increased We have written a letter to the BMC to repair the roads immediately for the safety of the passengersrdquo Taxi drivers are afraid to ply on potholeriddled stretches from Elphinstone Road to Parel and Hindmata while auto drivers try to steer clear of uneven stretches in Andheri Kurla Road LBS Marg and the one from Ghatkopar to Chembur Arun Rai owner of a garage in Sion said that he usually gets about 20 autos and taxis for repairs but in this season the numbers have gone up to over 50 per day ldquoThis is the first time we are getting so many vehicles to repairrdquo said Rai Right to refuse However harried commuters who are often seen arguing with cabbies or auto drivers have a different story to tell Most of them think that the increasing number of potholes is just another excuse that drivers give to wriggle out of driving to certain destinations ldquoThe rainy season gives an excuse to the rickshaw drivers to refuse commuters As a student I often end up missing my first lecture as reaching Versova from Andheri station takes not less than half an hour Is there any one who can explain our problems to the authoritiesrdquo said Neha Katdare a daily commuter from Powai to Andheriu00a0 Our View lsquoPotholes canrsquot be an excuse for cabbiesrsquo 42000 Number of taxisu00a0 u00a0 104 L Number of autos Voices Why would we go to an area which is always flooded It is easy to blame the taxi drivers for refusing fares to a particular location but no one understands the problem we face when we go to lowlying areas like Hindmata We get stuck as the water enters the engine landing us in big trouble Mohammad Jama taxi driver We canrsquot refuse the passengers going to lowlying areas as it is our loss Wadala and Sion are always in a bad shape Why would a taxi driver take a route that is going to cause trouble to both the driver and the vehicle Raju Pal taxi driver The BMC should think about us It39s affecting our health and also damaging the autos We have to look for the road in between the potholes After going home our bodies ache and we are not able to sleep properly I have two handicapped sisters wife and a daughter who will look after them if I fall ill Bharat Mehta auto driver for the last 35 years The condition of Kasturba road no1 in Borivli East is poor Even the road near the EastWest bridge has huge potholes and very few autos agree to go there The authorities should visit these spots and observe what people are going through Surendra Thakur drives auto in Borivli Finding an auto at Goregaon station is like finding water in a desert Many a times the meters are rigged One should actually come to the station at peak hours to understand what the passengers have to go through Nishil Kamlan daily commuter from Goregaon to Andheri Itrsquos useless commenting on the conditions of the road as things never improve The situation at Ghatkopar station has been bad for years now but with heavy rains this year the condition has become worse It is troublesome to face the adamant auto drivers every morning Yash Shah who travels from Ghatkopar to Mahim