22 April,2023 07:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
A metro rake entering Gundavli metro station. File photo/Nimesh Dave
The problem caused by a lack of Metro Rail connectivity from the western suburbs to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) seems to have been addressed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), with a new direct AC bus service between Gundavli - the last station of the Red Line 7 - on the Western Express Highway (WEH) and BKC.
"BKC has a large number of offices and the Red Line 7 currently terminates short of it at Gundavli at Andheri Junction along the WEH. We are now trying to offer last-mile connectivity with the new bus service," said an official, adding that the premium AC bus service has been started in collaboration with the BEST undertaking.
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According to the official, the service on route number S-112 shall run towards BKC from 7.30 am to 11.40 am. The service will ply towards Gundavli station from 3.40 pm till 8.15 pm. There will be a total of 29 trips per day, with 16 towards BKC and 13 to Gundavli, having 21 stops en route. "The fares have been kept quite reasonable, ranging between Rs 60 and Rs 90, depending on the distance travelled. Commuters will have to download the BEST Chalo app and book their tickets to avail of the service," he explained.
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MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner and Chairman and Managing Director of Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), S V R Srinivas said there has been a focus on providing facilities like parking spaces and electric bikes near Metro stations which provide crucial last-mile connectivity to commuters. "We plan to build synergies and create a robust framework so that Mumbaikars can travel comfortably," he said.
Starting Monday (April 24), eight new Metro services on Line 2A and 7 will be introduced to support the growing demand. With this, the total number of Metro services will increase from 245 to 253. Of the 30 trains received for lines, 27 have already been commissioned.
S-112
Bus route No.
Two of the Western Railway's (WR) AC local train services experienced glitches on Friday, with the doors of one train having to be left open for ventilation while on the run and another service being cancelled due to a snag. A large number of irate commuters complained to railway authorities and took to social media to express their anger.
"If there is a snag, the railways must provide another AC local train as passengers are paying for monthly AC passes in advance. Is it a very good service and cancellation of an AC train in this hot climate is not fair. Will the railway authorities refund or adjust the fares of passengers who suffered," asked commuter Krishna Patil.
The Railways, meanwhile, clarified that there were two separate incidents. "The cancellation of AC services on Friday was due to technical issues in one AC local train which are being rectified at the car shed.
The other incident of the AC local being run with open doors is a different issue which was temporary. It has been attended to and the train is back in operation now," a WR spokesperson said.
According to the official, there was an alarm chain pulling incident at Mira Road at 9.02 am due to cooling issues in the train. "Hence, the said local had to be run with open doors. The problem was attended to and by the time it reached Mahalaxmi, all the doors were closed with the AC functioning," said the official.
