Colaba: Residents discuss how to keep Causeway hawker-free in 2025

Makarand Narwekar, former BJP corporator, (right) with a group of residents, on Sunday. Pic/Atul Kamble

As the curtains get ready to come down on 2024, Colaba residents are looking towards welcoming a clean Colaba Causeway in 2025. A group of locals met at a park opposite the Garden hotel in Colaba on Sunday, December 15, morning to chart out the road ahead to remove hawkers from the Causeway to another location and leave the space open for walking. Though residents seemed determined to see this happen by next year, some context is important to explain a festering problem.

The hawkers on one side of the footpath at Causeway have almost obliterated walking space. For years now, there have been certain so-called ‘solutions' being touted about where to move these hawkers. One of these proposals is to shift all hawkers from the Causeway to the wide pavement outside the museum.

Difficult mix

On Sunday, the meet began with residents claiming that a substantial amount of illegal hawkers had become part of this space, including, "riff-raff persons. This is now not just about pedestrian space paucity only; it has become dangerous. Recently, we had a pervert following women right to their doors. Thankfully, he has been nabbed. Criminal elements, parking mafioso, traffic rules being flouted with impunity, all this is now part of the Colaba mix," they stated.

Residents Pervez Cooper and Subhash Motwani who were anchoring the meeting pointed to, "immense difficulty in getting the cops to file a FIR in certain cases.
It is very difficult for senior citizens. Activists who are empowered as they know procedure and law do manage but a common person struggles."

Smart stalls

Former BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar said, "There is certain litigation pending, so ‘smart stalls' for legal hawkers on the Causeway may be an interim measure before we can move them. Smart stalls are specially designed stalls with an awning, it is on wheels. We had provided one to a hawker. We are planning to give this to other legal hawkers so that the Causeway looks spruced up and uniform. My wish too though is to see that the entire group of hawkers is moved and the place freed up."

Narwekar sought to assure irked residents who said they wanted a "timeframe" for hawker removal stating, "it will happen. We will have meetings at least once with you all every month to take note of progress and problems if any." Yet, there were residents who thought that "giving smart stalls may mean the hawkers will be at the Causeway permanently." Others pointed out that new lights in Colaba, "has meant hawkers are carrying on selling their wares at times till 12 am." Narwekar reiterated the "smart stalls" are temporary, these "stalls are on wheels and when we fulfill the bigger aim of placing the legal hawkers elsewhere, they can move with these stalls itself as they are on wheels."

Jetty jitters

Locals pointed out traffic menace including double parking and pay 'n' park goons, who are lording over places in the area. "The traffic cops are at times seen having ‘chai' with these elements, how then are they going to nab them?" they asked angrily. There was yet another question about a "proposed jetty" supposed to come up near the Radio Club and Gateway of India as an adjunct to the current one. There are substantial jetty jitters as locals feel there will be a torrent of more tourist traffic and road problems with the new jetty. Narwekar though said, "there is no new marina planned here but the jetty will be in Ballard Estate." There were demands for a "time frame" for this clean up to happen. Locals stressed they were not against people making a livelihood but they must do so in a correct and legal manner.