Staggered Office Timings In Maharashtra: Will This Ease Pressure On Public Transport? Explained

Last Updated:July 17, 2025, 17:20 IST

The Maharashtra government has decided to allow government employees to start work 30 minutes later than their usual timings, a move mainly aimed at reducing peak-hour rush

A task force will possibly be formed to revise office times of private firms to ease pressure on public transport. (Image: PTI/ File)

The Maharashtra government is working on strengthening the urban mobility network and exploring alternative modes of transport to ease congestion in Mumbai. One of the measures may include the possible creation of a task force to revise office times of private firms to ease the pressure on public transport.

To this effect, Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has made the significant decision of allowing government employees to start work 30 minutes later than their usual timings. This move is mainly aimed at reducing crowding in Mumbai’s overburdened local trains during peak hours. It will require staff to extend their time in office by half an hour to ensure there is loss in productivity.

This comes after the recent train accident in Mumbra that claimed the lives of five commuters. Sarnaik said though railways is under central jurisdiction, the state is committed to passenger safety, while adding that railway officials have been directed to implement crowd control measures at stations and reduce fatalities during travel. He said the state government is exploring alternative modes of transportation such as waterways, ropeways, and ‘pod taxis’ in Mumbai.

But, if implemented on a large scale, will this specific decision to stagger office timings reduce crowding on public transport? Has this measure been implemented elsewhere? If so, what is the impact?

WHY STAGGERED OFFICE TIMINGS?

Maharashtra wants to formally involve the private sector in staggering office hours due to mounting transport woes  and safety crisis. The existing infrastructure expansion is not significantly helping to ease congestion.

Behavioural changes in work hours are seen as quick, low-cost demand-side interventions to reduce peak stress on the railways. A coordinated task force will guide implementation, recognising that infrastructure alone will not solve crowding without changes in commuter patterns.

Here is why and what can be achieved:

• According to reports, in response to a tragic incident on June 9, where five people died after falling from an overcrowded train between Mumbra and Diva, the state set up a task force to explore solutions, including staggered office hours for private companies.
• Reports said over the past three years, more than 7,565 commuters have died and 7,293 injured on the local train network. In 2024 alone, 741 fatalities occurred on the Thane-Kalyan stretch alone.
• Shifting working hours of different sectors (government, banks, private firms) will likely reduce peak-hour rush so as to smooth demand peaks and spread crowding across a longer window.
• It will improve passenger safety as fewer people will be commuting during peak hours, helping to reduce accidents.
• The task force will include officials from railways, state government, and private stakeholders to design workable timing bands tailored to different sectors.

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