Mumbai: The state transport ministry on Monday announced an immediate halt on permits for new autos across Maharashtra, citing the need to curb worsening traffic chaos and rein in urban pollution.
Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said govt will place the issue before the cabinet to decide the criteria for fresh permits, after which further steps will be taken.Sarnaik flagged irregularities in the existing regime, saying permits had been issued to multiple vehicles in the same household in several locations. He said the transport department had received complaints that some permits were illegally issued to Bangladeshi nationals.
Pointing to what he described as indiscriminate expansion, Sarnaik said around 14 lakh permits had been issued in the state. He said the Centre had recently advised Maharashtra to manage auto permits in major cities based on local conditions and transport requirements. Sarnaik welcomed the advisory and said the state would deliberate on policy measures aimed at ensuring better and more accessible transport for citizens.
The decision came amid a sharp rise in the number of CNG autos in MMR, particularly in the suburbs. The population of CNG autos operating in Mumbai’s suburban belt is now nearing the 3-lakh mark. Officials said around 60% of Mumbai’s autos operate in the western suburbs, with the rest concentrated in the eastern suburbs. Welcoming the decision, union leader Keshav Kshirsagar from Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha said: “As auto permits were distributed in far greater numbers than needed across the state, it had become difficult for existing drivers to earn adequate business. At the same time, the increasing number of autos in major cities was also making the problem of traffic jams severe.”
