Public Transport in Mumbai Comes to Halt as CNG Supply Disrupted After Pipe Damage

Public transportation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) — including Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai — was severely affected on Sunday after a major disruption in CNG supply. Operations at all 486 CNG refuelling stations came to a halt when a key gas pipeline at the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) plant in Chembur was damaged, cutting off supply to Mahanagar Gas Limited’s (MGL) City Gate Station in Wadala.

Autos, Taxis and App-Based Cabs Hit by Severe Shortage

The sudden outage led to a sharp decline in the availability of autorickshaws, kaali-peeli taxis, and app-based cabs. Commuters reported long waiting times, increased fares, and heavily overcrowded alternatives such as local trains and metros, especially during peak office and school hours. The reduced supply has significantly impacted both daily commuters and commercial transport operators.

Several CNG pumps remained closed throughout the day due to extremely low gas pressure, according to the Petrol Dealers Association (Mumbai). A majority of Mumbai’s auto and taxi fleet — including vehicles operated by Ola and Uber — relies heavily on MGL’s CNG supply. Some public transport buses operating in the city were also affected, further straining mobility across the region.

In an official statement issued on Sunday night, MGL confirmed that the disruption was caused by third-party damage to GAIL’s main gas supply pipeline inside the RCF compound. This pipeline feeds the CGS at Wadala, a critical gateway for gas entering Mumbai. The incident caused a significant drop in pressure across the network, forcing several CNG stations to operate at limited capacity or remain temporarily shut.

According to industry sources and PTI reports, the damaged pipeline is being repaired on a war footing. However, officials indicated that the restoration process could take the entire day. In the meantime, long queues and extended waiting times for refuelling were observed at the few stations that remained partially functional in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. 

Meanwhile, Acko Drive contacted MGL and got to know that a few gas stations have started operations, however, low pressure supply still remains a concern which is leading to a longer refueling period and extensive waiting periods. An operator at a Reliance fuel station in Navi Mumbai said, “We have no idea about (CNG) availability or any communication from the company. 

However, they are expecting CNG trucks to arrive by this evening so that they can start operations.” Another operator at an HP fuel pump revealed that supply was restored early in the morning. Two separate queues — one for cars and the other for rickshaws — have been formed. Each car takes around 30-40 mins, whereas a rickshaw has to wait for an hour. The queue hasn’t stopped since morning as only a few pumps have CNG for now.

Priority Given to PNG Consumers

MGL stated that it is prioritising supply to residential consumers to ensure uninterrupted Piped Natural Gas (PNG) availability to households. While supply to a few CNG stations has been marginally restored, pressure levels remain low. Industrial and commercial users in affected areas have been advised to switch to alternative fuel sources until normal supply resumes.

“Gas supplies across MGL’s network will normalise once the damage is rectified and supply is restored to CGS Wadala,” MGL said, apologising for the inconvenience caused. The company has not yet provided a specific timeline for full restoration, leaving transport operators and commuters bracing for further disruptions.

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