BMC damaging cycles parked outside rly stns, say dabbawalas

City dabbawalas’ tiffin delivery bicycles parked outside railway stations are being damaged. Over the past two or three months, at least five bicycles used by dabbawalas to deliver tiffin boxes have been damaged, and rendered unusable.
“BMC officials are causing this damage…,” alleged president of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, Ulhas Muke. He said at least five bicycles have been damaged, most of them outside Goregaon and Malad railway stations since February, putting a financial strain due to repairs on dabbawalas. BMC, on its part, denied it has anything to do with this, saying it does not usually touch any bicycles that are parked outside any station.

The allegation comes at a time when the Union Sports ministry has been pushing for citizens to take to cycling for fitness or even commuting to work.
Shivaji Mendge who delivers lunch boxes through the network said that the crossbar of his cycle -- the iron rod that connects the saddle to the steering handle -- was twisted and wrought when the cycle had been parked outside Goregaon railway station (east) about a month ago.
He alleged that this was done by BMC officials who were evicting hawkers from outside the station premises. “Hawkers at the spot told us that BMC officials had damaged the cycle… Also, I checked footage from CCTV cameras installed around the area,” Mendge said, adding that civic officials should cart away cycles if parking is prohibited there. He picks up lunch boxes from Gokuldam and around on his bicycle, heads to the railway station where he parks the bicycle and hops onto a train to deliver boxes to workplaces in Andheri (west) and around.
He said he would rather cough up a penalty of Rs 300 or so that BMC might want to impose. “But last month, I had to shell out Rs 3,200,” Mendge said about the expense to get the crossbar repaired. “But why damage our cycles,” asked Mendge who said he earns around Rs 15,000 a month by delivery tiffin boxes.
Another dabbawala, Kashinath Karvande, said his bicycle parked outside Goregaon station was also found damaged and left unfit for use over a couple of months back. Currently, he is using the bicycle of another dabbawala who is visiting his hometown. “Once he’s back, I’ll have to return the borrowed cycle… then, I will need around Rs 9,000 to buy a new bicycle for myself… When BMC allows the rich to park their cars, whaat is the problem with bicycles kept by dabbawallas?” he asked.
The chief of the dabbawallas’ association said most complaints of bicycle damage have come in from Goregaon and Malad over the past few months.
Assistant municipal commissioner of P/North ward, Kundan Valavi, said that hawker eviction drives are carried out, but clarified that his officials do not touch bicycles parked in the station area. “This should not be happening from our side… But I will check on this,” he said.
Anil Kate of BMC’s licence department, which takes action outside railway stations, said his officials do not take any such action on bicycles parked outside stations. “Nonetheless, I shall strictly instruct my team not to touch any bicycles outside stations,” he said.
Dr Viswanathan Iyer, a neurosurgeon who is the bicycle mayor of Mumbai, said: “Dabbawalas are the lifeline for many in Mumbai who depend on them for food. Also, they are an example of sustainable living and commute cycling. Anyone who is cycling to work should be encouraged and respected.”