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Navigating Thane’s Roads: A Snapshot of Challenges and Progress

 





Thane faces rising transport challenges with 23 lakh people and 22 lakh vehicles. To address congestion and pollution, the city is upgrading roads, expanding public transport, enhancing parking, and promoting EVs. Smart systems, a new station, cycle sharing, and clean air initiatives aim to build a sustainable urban mobility future.

Thane, a fast-growing city with a population of 23 lakh and over 22 lakh registered vehicles, faces intense pressure on its roads. Vehicles, along with road dust and industrial emissions, are major contributors to air pollution.

Thane’s 370 km road network includes 160 km of concrete/UTWT roads. Addressing traffic congestion is a key priority. To address potholes, TMC is upgrading key roads like Ghodbunder Road, Pokhran Road No. 2, and Eastern Express Highway link roads etc. The Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) includes road widening at Majiwada Junction, construction of subways near Kopri, overbridges at Kalwa and Parsik, and resolving missing links in Balkum–Mumbra area.

Over 6.5 lakh daily commuters use Thane Railway Station (Central Railway Data, 2023). The SATIS-2 project on the east side builds on the earlier western SATIS (2014), aiming to decongest station areas. A multi-modal transit hub is planned at the existing Thane railway station's eastern exit to integrate different modes of public transport and provide commuter facilities. A new station between Thane and Mulund is proposed on 14.73 acres at Kapurbawdi (Thane Smart City Ltd, 2024), with integrated parking and bus terminal.

TMT buses, active since 1989, serve 2–2.3 lakh passengers daily, across 102 routes using 517 buses—414 diesel, 103 CNG (TMT Annual Report 2020). A plan to add 200 buses is in place. 13 CNG stations, such as those at Wagle Estate and Teen Haath Naka, support eco-fueling.

To enhance the efficiency and experience of public transport, an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is being implemented as part of the Smart City project. The ITS  includes Vehicle Health Monitoring and Fleet Management capabilities, a Central Command Centre at TMC HQ, Pachpakhadi, 1500 surveillance cameras (with support from Thane Police), an AVLS and a mobile app “Where is my TMT Bus Now” (Thane Smart City Project, 2024).

Parking management is another area of focus. To resolve parking, TMC has built multi-level lots at Gavdevi Maidan, Jupiter Hospital, Ashar IT Park, and Kacharali Lake. 177 roads across 9 wards are mapped for legal on-street parking (TMC Traffic Dept, 2024). 200 jammers assist police in enforcing no-parking zones (Thane Traffic Police).

Thane is part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and has launched "Thane 2025 – EV Roadmap" (TMC Environment Cell, 2024). This policy includes: Phased EV adoption targets for <1 year to 10 years, Charging station plans at public spaces, IT hubs (like Hiranandani Estate), and TMC offices, Nominal lease rates for PCS setup: ₹1/sq ft/year

TMC currently owns 1 electric bus, 2 electric cars, 2 scooters, and 2 charging stations (at HQ and Lokmanya Nagar). Proposal for 100 e-buses under PPP with MMRDA is under review.

Public cycle sharing was introduced in 2018 via Coo Rides, with 52 stops (e.g., Kopri Circle, Naupada, Vasant Vihar), 15 cycles per stop, and 1.5 lakh+ rides recorded (Coo Rides App Data, 2024).

Air pollution mitigation measures include vehicle PUC checks, retrofit plans for diesel buses, fuel adulteration drives, and signal idle cut-off campaigns (TMC Env Action Plan, 2023–2024).

  • Information based on TMC Report, Thane Clean Air Action Plan 2020 - 21 
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