Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Apologises for Mumbai Traffic Woes, Promises ‘Mumbai in 59 Minutes’ During Chat with Akshay Kumar at FICCI Frames 2025

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday addressed the city’s growing traffic concerns during an engaging interaction with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar at FICCI Frames 2025. Acknowledging the inconvenience caused by ongoing infrastructure projects, Fadnavis extended a public apology to Mumbaikars.

Actor Akshay Kumar highlighted the challenges faced by commuters, noting that while Mumbai is developing rapidly, ongoing Metro and tunnel constructions have resulted in congestion and traffic snarls across the city. Responding to these concerns, Fadnavis said, “Through this event, I would like to apologise to all the Mumbaikars for the inconvenience caused due to the multiple ongoing projects.”

The Chief Minister elaborated on the government’s vision, emphasizing long-term improvements in urban mobility. “With these latest developments, the Maharashtra government aims to make transportation convenient across the city. Our mantra is ‘Mumbai in 59 minutes’,” he said, adding, “We aim to make it possible to travel from one end of Mumbai to the other in just 59 minutes.”

The conversation took a light-hearted turn when Akshay Kumar jokingly asked whether a holiday could be declared once all development work is completed. Fadnavis responded with a smile, “After all the work is finished, we will celebrate it on May 1, on Maharashtra Day.” The actor immediately quipped, “But that’s already a holiday,” prompting laughter from both the audience and the Chief Minister.