- September 21, 2025
‘Ghodbunder Road Travel Risky, Painful’: Why Actor Feels Thane Commute Via Dubai Might Be Easier
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Actor Milind Phatak said: “When you leave Mira Road Fountain hotel and enter Ghodbunder Road towards Thane, there is no road left. There are only potholes.”
Ghodbunder Road is riddled with potholes, said actor Milind Phatak. (PTI/Instagram)
Marathi TV actor Milind Phatak recently took to Instagram to appeal to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to look into the plight of those taking what he called the “dangerous and risky Ghodbunder Road” in Thane.
In a post on Instagram, he said: “I have been working on a Marathi show since February. It is being shot at Ovla Naka on Thane’s Ghodbunder Road. I live in Andheri Lokhandwala. I travel daily from there to here. In February, it used to take an hour to travel from Andheri to Thane by road. Then I started coming via Powai-Ghatkopar spending double the amount. I also switched to Dahisar Metro, and then started taking an autorickshaw to Ghodbunder.”
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Explaining what caused the switch, he said: “The condition of the road has deteriorated to such an extent that it has now become dangerous, pathetic, risky and painful to travel. When you leave Mira Road Fountain hotel and enter Ghodbunder Road towards Thane, there is no road left. There are only potholes.”
“All kinds of vehicles pass through that stretch. The drivers are risking their lives while crossing the stretch just to earn a living. I recently heard a joke that reaching Thane via Dubai might be easier,” he said.
In another post, he said he had got some more clarity on the issue. “Why is the road from Fountain hotel on Mira-Bhayander turn to Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) road not being repaired? Because one patch is with the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC), other with the TMC and the middle portion is with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).”
Phatak requested the authorities to resolve the issue at the earliest. “Getting a safe road to travel is a fundamental right of a citizen. I am saying this responsibly. It is the duty of these authorities. I have no choice but to travel, despite the difficulties, for my living. Please, please, please look into it.”
In an attempt to ease traffic snarls on the Ghodbunder Road in Thane city, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed that heavy vehicles will be permitted to ply on the route only between midnight and the early morning hours, an official told PTI on Tuesday.
As per a release issued by Shinde’s office, he chaired a high-level coordination meeting with senior officials from multiple departments late on Monday night and announced the measure.
The decision comes amid ongoing road works on the Ghodbunder stretch, which have significantly impacted traffic flow.
The deputy chief minister has instructed the traffic police and other agencies to enforce strict traffic regulations during the daytime, permitting heavy vehicle movement only between 12 am and early morning hours, the release stated.
Shinde has asked Thane Collector Shrikrishna Panchal to ensure seamless coordination between the Thane Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai police, Palghar district administration and Mira Bhayandar police and municipal administration, it stated. “Strict action will be taken against officers who allow heavy vehicles on the route before 12 midnight and fail to enforce the new timings,” Shinde said in the meeting, according to PTI.
He asked Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) chief managing director Unmesh Wagh to ensure that heavy vehicles departing from JNPT to Ghodbunder Road are dispatched only after midnight.
Shinde also instructed officials to control the movement of vehicles coming from Ahmedabad toward Ghodbunder Road and ensure they are halted at designated locations such as Achchad and Chinchoti until midnight.
Provisions for temporary parking zones for these heavy vehicles were also suggested, the release said.
The deputy CM emphasised that these measures are temporary but essential until the completion of roadworks on the Thane-Ghodbunder corridor.
With PTI Inputs
At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies …Read More
At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies … Read More
September 19, 2025, 13:42 IST
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