While Everything Else Stopped, Mumbai's BEST Buses Continued To Ferry Passengers Across The City

On a day when Mumbai's lifeline let down its commuters, its second 'BEST' transport service bailed them out.

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As torrential downpour flooded tracks and sunk the suburban railway network on Tuesday, BEST buses proved to be the saviour for lakhs of Mumbaikars, braving the chaotic traffic situation on the roads to reach them home safely albeit a little late.

Also Read: Heavy Showers, Flooded Roads Bring Mumbai To A Standstill, High Tide Alert Issued

The transport service, which has run into huge losses and has been in the news of late for all the wrong reasons, redeemed its image with the authorities plying over 100 additional buses besides the 3,400 vehicles that run on the roads daily. Although some buses broke down, the number was few.

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Chembur resident Vishal Ramchandra Chauhan agreed."I work in the share market. When the rains worsened, I left my office. I got a BEST bus from Colaba. Now, I know that I will reach home," Chauhan said.

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Another commuter, Harendra Singh, who works in Wadala and boarded a BEST bus on his way back home to Vashi, thanked the transport service. "In the morning, I had taken a train to reach my workplace.

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My office shut early because of the rains, but when I stepped out, the local trains were not plying. I managed to get a BEST bus and though it took me one hour 50 minutes to reach Sion Circle from Wadala, I am glad that I am not getting wet," he said.

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Sangam Devraj, 35, a resident of Santacruz, was happy to find himself a spot in a cramped BEST bus ferrying passenger from Marin lines to Tardeo. Devraj, who works as a labourer in Colaba, was stuck when he reached Churchgate station to catch a train back home.

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Devraj said, "We did not know where to go as we do not know anyone in this part of the city, but thankfully, BEST buses were still available."

Many like Sandeepa Dhebri (46) were turned down by the kaali-peelis, and app-based cabs like Ola and Uber and BEST proved to the best bet for them. "None of the taxi drivers was ready to take me. But to my surprise, BEST buses were working," said Dhebri, who works on Pedder Road.

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For the BEST authorities, it was a moment of honour that during the most trying times, the service, touted to be Mumbai's second lifeline after the suburban network, didn't disappoint its commuters. BEST public relations officer Manoj Varade said, "We are glad that we were able to serve so many people at such a crucial time.

Also Read: Mumbai Shows Its True Spirit Again, As Citizens Come Forward To Help People Stuck In Heavy Rain

We plied 109 extra buses and lived up to our reputation of being Mumbai's second lifeline. When the trains are down and the entire city is under water, our priority is to ensure that the service keeps going. Although the service was slow, our objective was to ensure that everyone reached home."

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He added that they had set up a separate cell to monitor the bus services, while the general manager had asked all depot managers to start allowing the buses to leave once a sizeable number of passengers boarded the vehicles.

BEST drivers also responded to the call of the hour. Sunil Ramchandra, who had been working since 5 am, said, "I am continuously getting calls from family members and friends, who are asking me to go back home, but I decided to work."