Mumbai/New Delhi: Millions of Mumbai commuters heaved a sigh of relief as suburban train drivers called off their strike after 36 hours. This came after Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil's intervention.
Earlier, commuters were hit hard as drivers of suburban trains, the city's lifeline, staged a protest demanding better working conditions.
With just a few trains running and thousands of commuters crammed into coaches like sardines, life was thrown out of gear in Mumbai, where trains carry nearly seven million passengers a day.
The protests, by more than 600 motormen, as the drivers are known, compelled the railways to issue a rare advisory on Tuesday asking people not to commute unless it was a must.
"People may undertake [a train] journey only if it's very important," said a bulk SMS sent out by the railway authorities. Stranded passengers were asked to contact the helpline, 10721, for assistance.
The motormen have been on a hunger strike since 6am on Monday, demanding a pay hike and other conditions. Their strike led to chaos in the city during the evening peak hour traffic on Monday.
Sensing the critical situation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan indicated he would take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The state government then announced it was invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to force drivers to return to work. There was no immediate response from protesting staff.
The situation sparked by the work stoppage worsened yesterday, with the cancellation of nearly 80 per cent of the 2,000 daily services.
The railways resorted to desperate — but insufficient — measures like permitting people to travel on long-distance trains on the same routes and making them halt at all suburban stations.
The railways are also making alternative arrangements to grapple with the protest, considered the worst in Mumbai since 1974. Taxis and autorickshaws were in heavy demand. Many people were seen hanging on to the doors or perched on the roofs of the trains still travelling.
Mumbai University said any student delayed for the 40-odd final examinations need not panic. They would be permitted extra time to write their papers.
The motormen's agitation has had a cascading effect on Mumbai roads and highways which have been plagued by ugly traffic snarls since Monday night. Similar scenes were seen yesterday morning.
Can Mumbai survive without its public transportation? What can be done to make sure this incident does not recur?
