A sudden flash strike by auto-rickshaw drivers brought Dombivli East in Maharashtra to a grinding halt on Saturday evening.
Between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm, major roads including Indira Gandhi Chowk, Bajiprabhu Chowk, Kelkar Road, and the Ramnagar ticket window were completely blocked as hundreds of rickshaws were deliberately parked to protest against action by the traffic police on overloading.
The protest was reportedly triggered after the Dombivli Traffic Department began issuing fines for carrying more than the legally permitted three passengers. In response, the Lal Bawta Rickshaw Union instructed drivers to stop operations, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded during peak hours.
Frustrated commuter Swati Joshi, returning from Mumbai, said, “I waited in the queue for nearly an hour. Autos were just standing idle on the roads and drivers were refusing to take any passengers. In the morning they beg for passengers, and in the evening, when we desperately need them, they go on strike.”
Adding to the frustration, there is an ongoing lack of reliable public transport in the region. “There are no proper KDMT bus services in Kalyan-Dombivli. That is why these rickshaw drivers and unions feel they can act like dictators,” said Mohan Purohit, another stranded commuter, adding, “They often take four or five people in a single rickshaw, which is both unsafe and illegal. Even women drivers are doing this.”
Senior citizens Rohini and her husband, caught in the chaos after shopping in the local market, shared their distress. “We completely depend on autos as there’s no KDMT service where we stay. These strikes affect us the most. The drivers are often rude and uncooperative.”
When contacted, Assistant Police Inspector Shri Ram Patil of the Dombivli Traffic Department confirmed the incident and emphasised that enforcement will continue.
“Within an hour, our team cleared the roads and removed the rickshaws that were causing obstruction. Carrying a fourth passenger in an auto is illegal, and our drive against such violations will continue. Similar action is being taken across the entire Thane district,” said API Shri Ram Patil, Dombivli Traffic Division.
The traffic department`s drive is part of a larger campaign across Thane district to ensure passenger safety and enforce proper seating regulations. However, commuters say they are paying the price in the absence of dependable alternative transport.
