Life in the city of dreams is full of stress, with demanding work life, long commutes, unsafe environment, etc, say young working professionals from the city. However, 90% want to continue living here.
A survey ‘Understanding voice of the working youth in Mumbai’, initiated by the youth arm of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, revealed that besides endless commuting and lack of affordable housing, most Mumbaikars are concerned about their lack of time to indulge in any form of exercise.
The survey report was released on Thursday.
With the city’s changing dynamics, 70% working professionals don’t find it safe and 80% get only one weekly off. Also, with more than 60% having no fitness regime, the city shows unhealthy environment.
The survey report states, “Mumbai’s working youth share a love-hate relationship with this city of dreams. Most start their work days early, spend long hours at work, and also spend a big chunk of the day travelling back and forth. This leaves them with hardly any time to pursue other interests. Only 41% are extremely satisfied with the work they are doing. Despite this, only 18% prefer a lower-paying job close to home over a high-paying one requiring a lot of commuting; 26% women prefer convenience over pay.”
Commuting takes up 1/10th of the waking hours of young Mumbaikars’ workdays, which is one hour a day on an average. Normally, a working person in Mumbai spends nine hours in office. Men tend to work longer than women, and those aged between 21 and 27 work the longest.
Young professionals in the city are so stressed with their work that they try to evolve their social life in and around the workplace.
Report shows that 89% have a best friend at work and 49% have a mentor.
Ashit Kampani, chairperson, Young Bombay Forum, said, “The forum wishes to understand the broader issues facing youth in Mumbai. The findings are to be discussed with major employers in the city to help young professionals have a balanced life.”

For the second edition of the Mumbai Film and Comics Convention (MFCC), organisers Comic Con India decided to give the much-loved event a filmy twist. Filmmakers, graphic novelists, illustrators and over 20,000 comic lovers thronged to the World Trade Centre in Cuffe Parade for the two-day festival.
On the first day, author and artist Abid Surti launched the latest issue of his Indian Comic Journal. Draupadi, the latest in the mythological series by Campfire, was also launched, alongside 10 other books from the silver jubilee special edition of Nagraj and Dhruva by Raj Comics. “We wanted to do something special for this year’s Comic Con. It is the perfect platform for us to meet comic lovers,” said Manish Gupta, Raj Comics.
Apart from comics, films were an integral part of this year’s Comic Con. Veteran director Kundan Shah spoke about his hit comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron on its 30th anniversary. Actors Shazahn Padamsee, Jiah Khan, Rajat Barmecha and Ayushmann Khurrana also made their presence felt.
Several graphic novelists also launched their books at the event. “Comics are no longer just illustrated versions of Hindu mythology. There are newer characters, interesting stories and great illustrations. They are no longer meant only for children,” said Abhijeet Kini, who launched his self-published comic Angry Maushi at the MFCC.
Marvel and DC Comics, among others, had set up their own stalls. “Everybody had a wonderful time. The merchandise as well as the interactive sessions were a great hit,” said Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India.

Rajesh Shah, 41, a resident of Dadar (East), was frantically trying to hail a taxi for more than half an hour near the Dadar flyover. He had to take his mother to a doctor in Mahim. Standing with his old and ailing mother, he stopped more than eight taxis but they refused.
Some sped past while others gave excuses that they were going in the other direction. The traffic constable at the junction was of no help. The only advice he gave Shah was to get in a cab even if the driver refuses.
Finally, a taxi driver obliged. Shah was not only late for the appointment, but had to struggle the same way on his way back. “I tried dialling for cabs, but they were not helpful,” said a frustrated Shah.
Shah represents the average Mumbaikar, who does not have a redress mechanism. There are helplines and e-mail IDs to file a complaint but no solution to the problem.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan heads the transport department but seems to have failed miserably in solving the persistent problem. “The transport department has been listening to the grievances of auto and taxi unions and giving them fare hikes. But, it has not come up with a foolproof mechanism to help citizens,” says Ajay Deshmukh, a commuter.
On October 5, the state government permitted hikes in autorickshaw and taxi fares — the third time in a year — to preempt a strike threatened by 55,000 taximen in the city. “The explanation for fare hike does not hold water because all cabs and autos in Mumbai run on CNG, whose price has been more or less steady,” says Vandana Shirsat, a government employee, whose daily ride to the station in share-a-cab has become costlier.
The government said the hike has been fixed in accordance with a state government-approved formula.
Weak citizen representation?
A senior transport department official says the chief minister should be serious about complaints and fill up vacancies in the department.
“The government has been prompt in solving the grievances of automen and cabbies but why is it ignoring the commuters’ grievances? Every time the issue comes up, officials cite the same reason that the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the enforcement department are understaffed,” he said.
He cited the lack of a strong commuters’ representative. “The same old consumer organisations have been representing the citizens. There is a need for more aggression and perspective,” says the senior transport department official.

There are many like Shah who feel helpless and frustrated as there is no immediate redress mechanism. “You are expected to face the inconvenience, go home and then mail or e-mail your complaint. You end up documenting the complaint, without hoping for a solution,” Shah says.
Citizens cannot expect the traffic police to help them as they too are facing staff shortage.
There are only 2,696 policemen — including 153 officers — to man 20 lakh vehicles in Mumbai. This alarming statistics has been ignored and could be the major reason for lawlessness and rising number of accidents.
“No wonder, complaints against cab and auto refusing fare get less priority as there are not enough people to manage the traffic,” says Deshmukh. Sources said the proposal to increase the strength of the traffic police is with the home department, which is yet to act on it.
More issues
Not only staff crunch, but a lack of basic infrastructure has hit the Regional Transport Offices’ (RTOs) work.
The RTO has three offices in Mumbai — for south and central Mumbai, for eastern and north eastern suburbs and the third for the western suburbs. The offices are either in a rented place, open barrack (Andheri RTO) or an old British horse stable (the Tardeo RTO). The three RTOs that register thousands of vehicles every year, issue licences, monitor the city’s transport system and get revenue of hundreds of crores are housed in dilapidated structures.
When the department’s computerisation began a few years ago, the National Informatics Centre, the government’s IT wing, deemed the Tardeo structure unfit.
The Mumbai Central office, that registers MH01 vehicles, is housed in a long row of sheds. The Andheri office, which registers MH02 numbers in the western and north western suburbs, operates from a dilapidated structure. A driving test track and a posh building promised a few years ago are stuck in a scam.
The Wadala office, that looks after the eastern and north eastern suburbs and registers numbers MH03, has similar problems.
‘’All three offices are in a shambles. They have become a dumping ground for scrapped vehicles and gadgets,’’ says an RTO inspector on condition of anonymity.
The 2012 statistics reveal that Mumbai has around 20 lakh vehicles registered from the ‘three dump yards of scrap’.
Mumbai’s fourth RTO, MH-47, is only on paper despite being formally announced and declared in the official state statistics. The Borivli RTO office has been unable to start operations due to staff crunch and space.

Consumer activist and member of Citizen Transport Committee Jitendra Gupta says they should move the court over the problems and forward them to the Centre, although it seldom responds. “Citizens can start registering their complaints with the consumer grievance cell and the Union transport ministry,” says Gupta.
Activist Nitin Joshi too suggests taking the grievances to the Centre. “The Centre will at least know that there is something wrong with the Maharashtra transport department. Courts are another option. But it is high time citizens took up their own battle,” says Joshi.
Until the government comes up with a solution, commuters like Shah will keep suffering. “It is a sad situation. Even after the fare hike, cabbies and automen cheat commuters and the officials cannot tackle it. We will have to fight it ourselves,” said Shah.