TMC loses lakhs of rupees daily due to illegal private buses along Thane–GB Road

According to TMC officials, nearly 150–200 private buses operate illegally across the city mainly on highways connecting Ghodbunder, Bhiwandi, and nearby areas

Thane: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is allegedly incurring losses amounting to lakhs of rupees every day due to illegal private buses operating on the Thane–Ghodbunder Road route, said civic officials. They added that several complaints to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the Thane Traffic Police have not resulted in effective action against the bus operators.

Thane, India - March -08, 2026:Thane: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is reportedly incurring losses amounting to lakhs of rupees every day due to illegal private buses operating on the ThaneÐGhodbunder Road stretch. Civic officials say repeated complaints to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the Thane Traffic Police have not resulted in effective action against these operators ,in Thane ,in Mumbai, India, on, Sunday, March -08, 2026. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

However, many commuters have been forced to rely on unauthorized private buses for their daily travel due to irregular and insufficient bus services provided by TMC’s transport wing, Thane Municipal Transport (TMT).

According to TMC officials, nearly 150–200 private buses operate illegally across the city mainly on highways connecting Ghodbunder, Bhiwandi, and nearby areas. Apart from causing financial losses to the civic transport service, these buses also pose safety risks to passengers as they do not stop at the designated bus stops. Instead, they halt anywhere along the road, including in the middle of traffic or near flyover entry points, when passengers ask them to stop.

Civic officials said these buses often pick up passengers directly from TMC bus stops and even park their vehicles in the vicinity of civic bus stops, creating difficulties for TMT drivers trying to halt at designated stops. This also puts passengers at risk, as they are forced to board or alight away from the designated bus bays.

Bhalchandra Behere, transport officer of TMC, told HT, “We are incurring losses of around ₹2 lakh daily due to illegal bus operators plying on the highway stretch between Teen Hath Naka and Ghodbunder Road. We have raised the issue several times with the RTO and the Thane Traffic Police, but we have not received adequate support in tackling the problem.” However, Behere acknowledged that the current fleet of TMT buses is insufficient for the city’s population of over 2.5 million residents.

At present, the transport service operates 424 buses, including 123 electric buses, 240 diesel buses, and 61 CNG buses. However, the situation is expected to improve by the end of the year. TMT is set to receive 303 electric buses by December 2026 under the central government’s PM E-Bus Seva Yojana, funded through the 15th Finance Commission along with contributions from the central and state governments. Of the total planned additions, 123 e-buses are already operational, tenders have been issued for 110 more, and 160 buses are expected to be added soon.

Responding to the issue of illegal buses, Hemangini Patil, an official at the Thane RTO, said enforcement teams are regularly monitoring private buses operating in the city. “We conduct inspections and verify the documents required for operating such buses. These private buses are permitted to run services for residential complexes, companies or specific groups, but they are not allowed to operate like public transport by picking up and dropping passengers from general bus stops,” Patil said.