LTT still overrun by criminals, dodgy auto, taxi drivers

MUMBAI: Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) appears to be the worst face that Mumbai can present to visitors to the city. The dingy and dimly lit areas near the terminus are infamous for unscrupulous elements and rogue autorickshaw and taxi drivers who fleece passengers by rigging meters or plying longer routes.

While police and railway authorities say the station premises have been revamped and serious crimes have dropped lately, the recent murder of a 22-year-old youth by two robbers near LTT once again raises safety concerns among citizens.

“The horrific rape and murder of young techie Esther Anuhya in 2014 by a man who posed as a cabbie at LTT stares you in the face when you visit this station,” passenger rights activist Anil Galgali told TOI.

Several trains arrive at LTT in the early morning hours or late at night. These passengers have no option but to use public transport. They are seen as gullible targets by errant drivers who enter platform premises to solicit customers and then fleece them. Some years ago, a prepaid taxi stand was set up at LTT by the A L Quadros-led union to stop the illegal practice but it was dismantled in 2018.

“There is complete lawlessness at LTT to this day,” said Galgali, who has been complaining about rogue drivers to the authorities for years. “We have been complaining about a cartel of notorious drivers at LTT but there is no proper policing in the area. In fact, most drivers succeed in fleecing commuters and then return to LTT,” said Galgali. “It is difficult to break their back unless the RTO launches a round-the-clock drive to weed them out,” said a commuter activist.

Both railway and transport officials have tried to cleanse the area but have been unsuccessful.

State transport commissioner Shekhar Channe had recently expressed willingness to start a prepaid auto service for commuter safety. But the railways need to allocate land for the purpose and an autorickshaw union must come forward to run the service.

In the past, commuters, especially women, have complained of “nightmarish” experiences. Quadros, too, admitted to chaos outside the station. “We have complained several times to the transport department and the railways but the situation has not changed till date,” he said.

G R Vora, a commuter activist, said, “In case of a criminal record, the driver should compulsorily obtain a police NOC to ply a vehicle.”

Shashank Rao of Mumbai Autorickshawmen’s Union said a list of rogue drivers and their locations can be provided to RTOs and traffic police for action.