economy
January 22, 2026
‘Exclusively for the elite’: why Mumbai’s new motorway is a symbol of the divide between rich and poor
With 64% of the city’s residents relying on buses and trains so overloaded that up to 10 passengers die a day, anger is rising over a taxpayer-funded road most will never use
TL;DR
- Mumbai's new coastal road connects north and south, reducing travel time for car owners.
- Critics argue the road benefits only the wealthy elite, while the majority rely on public transport.
- Environmental activists and urban planners state the funds could have been better used for public transport.
- The construction involved reclaiming land from the sea, impacting the livelihoods of the Koli fishing community.
- Mangrove destruction for the road exacerbates Mumbai's vulnerability to flooding and harms the ecosystem.
- The road limits public access to the shoreline, a valuable recreational space.
- Urban planners view the motorway as an outdated 20th-century solution to a 21st-century problem.
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