Bhiwandi residents erupt in anger as two children die in back-to-back road accidents, seek day ban on heavy vehicles

Residents say the situation has worsened due to the combination of dangerous road conditions, unchecked movement of multi-axle trucks and chronic congestion across the powerloom town. The stretch between Anjur Phata and Nadi Naka has become a particular flashpoint

THANE: After two school children were killed in separate road accidents on November 26 and 27, Bhiwandi has been gripped by public outrage, with residents staging widespread protests against the civic body, Thane police and the traffic department. Residents allege that authorities have failed to enforce restrictions on heavy vehicles, which are officially barred from entering the city between 6 am and midnight but continue to ply freely through densely populated areas.

Following the deaths of two schoolchildren last week, residents across Bhiwandi have launched widespread protests against the civic authorities, Thane Police, and the local traffic department for allowing heavy vehicles to move inside the city despite existing restrictions. Locals have been demanding a strict daytime ban on heavy vehicles, citing frequent accidents and severe traffic congestion. Poor road conditions across Bhiwandi continue to worsen the situation. December 01 Pic on Monday in India on 01 2025. (Pramod Tambe)

Residents say the situation has worsened due to the combination of dangerous road conditions, unchecked movement of multi-axle trucks and chronic congestion across the powerloom town. The stretch between Anjur Phata and Nadi Naka has become a particular flashpoint. According to locals, at least one fatality is reported every month on this corridor, where two-wheeler riders being crushed under trucks has become “routine”.

Dr Noor Ansari, head of Siraj Hospital in Bhiwandi, said residents have lost faith in the system despite repeatedly raising the alarm. “There is no improvement. The roads are terrible with deep craters which are causing deaths and traffic snarls. Heavy vehicles move around the clock, and bikers coming under their wheels has become an everyday sight,” he said.

He added that the recent five-day visit of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat exposed the administration’s capacity for strict enforcement. “During the VIP visit, the authorities managed smooth traffic by clearing parked vehicles and enforcing discipline. If such planning is possible for VIPs, why not for ordinary residents?” he asked. Repairing potholes, removing parked trucks and enforcing the daytime ban on heavy vehicles, he said, would significantly reduce accidents.

Former Bhiwandi MLA Abdul Rashid Tahir Momin said the town’s civic system has “completely collapsed”. Although a ban on heavy vehicles is in place from 7am to 9pm, he alleged that trucks move through the city unchecked all day, aided by rampant bribery. “I have held several meetings with municipal and traffic police officials. They make promises but nothing changes. Every month someone dies because of potholes or heavy vehicles,” Momin said, adding that even basic road repairs would ease the crisis.

A senior traffic police officer, requesting anonymity, said enforcement is constrained by Bhiwandi’s position as a major logistics hub. “These roads are the lifeline for thousands of warehouses and industries. If we stop heavy vehicles during the day, where will drivers park? There’s no space inside or outside the city,” the officer said. Trucks pour in from the Mumbai–Ahmedabad and Mumbai–Nashik highways and the Kapurbawdi side to load and deliver goods, he explained, making large-scale restrictions difficult.

“We manage with limited personnel. We do penalise illegal parking and violations of restricted hours, but the scale of vehicle movement is too large for these measures to make a meaningful impact,” he added.

BOX: Recent deaths

November 26: Khadija Sheikh, a six-year-old student, fell off the scooter her father was riding and was crushed to death on the APJ Abdul Kalam Flyover.

November 27: Shrinivas Kadam, a Class 4 student from Anjur Phata, was hit by a bike while waiting for an autorickshaw outside his school.