Much like its world renowned Dabbawala scheme, Mumbai’s road transport has a unique system in place for moving grocery, grains and other commodities to the nook and cranny of the metropolis and its suburbs.

The method that works out of the Vashi Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee yard in Mumbai covers retailers and even households over a region of 70 sq km. 

The system primarily serves two purposes. One, the retailer gets the product he wants from the yard where a whole range of a commodity’s grades is available. Two, it also ensures that vehicles carrying goods to retail outlets are always full.

In turn, the consumer also doesn’t have to pay higher retail price that takes into account the transport charges too. The system smacks a little of monopoly, though.

 “A transporter has to be a member of the Retail Transport Owners Association of Navi Mumbai to enter the Vashi yard paying a one-time fee of Rs 10,000. Then, every year, he has to pay Rs 250 that goes towards maintenance of the association office,” says Dikshit Jamnadas Jani, who has been a commission agent here for over two decades.

A retailer who needs a particular product or some products calls his commission agent and places the order. The commission agent, in turn, identifies the seller at the yard, collects the bill and puts it in the box provided by the transport association. Every agent knows the transport company that reaches the retailer and that makes it easy for him to drop the bill in the specified box. 

The transporters’ box has been provided in each complex of the over 100 acre-yard, where various grades of grains, pulses, sugar and grocery are available. 

From here, the bill is collected by a crew member of the transport organisation. 

Each order that a retailer has placed is then picked up from the seller’s warehouse and then loaded on to the lorry or van of the transporters.

“Each retailer’s product is identified by the Mehta (accountant) who sorts out and loads the product based on the distance of the retailer,” says Abdul Ali Sheikh, General Secretary of the association.

“No vehicle will leave the market yard without being fully loaded. This system ensures that,” says Jani.

The transport charge is levied on a 50-kg bag basis. “We are now charging Rs 30-50 for a bag based on the distance,” said Sheikh.

The levy takes into account all expenses, including loading of vehicles.

“This system is such that even the loading workers’ union and retailers are part of it in deciding the transport charge,” said Jani.

“It ensures that there are no disputes over the charges that are levied,” said Sheikh.

For a retailer like Devraj at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre residential complex, the system ensures in reaching the premium-grade rice that his customer wants. 

This system has now drawn the attention of overseas officials. 

“Some officials have visited the yard from Bangkok and Singapore. They have taken details from us to implement it in their country,” said Sheikh. 

subramani.mancombu@thehindu.co.in

 

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