Thane Station Hawkers Used Public Restrooms As Makeshift Warehouses, TMC Seizes Goods Worth ₹2 Lakh

Thane, August 20, 2026: In a major oversight lapse, unauthorized street vendors were caught illegally using municipal restrooms as storage facilities at the Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme (SATIS) bridge outside Thane Railway Station.

Complaint Triggers Civic Action

The misuse came to light after BJP leader and former corporator Sanjay Waghule lodged an official complaint with TMC Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Jamdar.

Civic authorities launched a swift crackdown, seizing vendor goods valued at approximately Rs 2 lakh. Vendors had procured duplicate keys to access restrooms reserved for women and TMT staff, using them overnight to store merchandise and evade anti-encroachment drives.

The discovery sparked intense outrage among daily commuters. "It is disgusting and unsafe," said Sunita Rane, a daily commuter. "Knowing that hawkers had duplicate keys to women's restrooms makes us feel completely unsafe. How can the administration let this happen?"

Rohit Deshmukh, another commuter, added, "Walking through the station during peak hours is a nightmare because hawkers block every foot of space. Now we know how they maintain permanent real estate here."

Shopkeepers Raise Competition Concerns

Tax-paying shopkeepers also voiced sharp resentment over the unfair competition. "We pay high rents, taxes, and licensing fees, while these illegal hawkers hijack public facilities for free storage right in front of our stores," said a local shop owner.

"They block our storefronts, and when civic drives happen, they simply stash their stock in a public toilet. Local officials clearly look the other way."

Officials Order Further Probe

Waghule slammed the administration for failing to enforce High Court orders prohibiting hawking within a 150-metre radius of stations. A similar incident occurred three years ago on Platform No. 2, highlighting a chronic enforcement failure at this major transit hub.

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Confirming the action, TMC Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Jamdar stated, "We took immediate action upon receiving the complaint and confiscated all illegally stored goods. We have changed the locks, deployed round-the-clock guards at the facility, and initiated an inquiry to determine how duplicate keys were obtained. Strict legal action will be taken against those responsible."

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