Daily commuters switch to metro as BEST drivers’ strike intensifies

According to officials from Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), Metro Lines 2A and 7 catered to 2,36,705 passengers on August 4

Mumbai: The ongoing strike by BEST bus drivers came as a boon for Metro Lines 2A and 7 as their total daily footfall increased to 2.36 lakh from 1.84 lakh to 1.90 lakh. Last month, when it rained heavily, the daily footfall of passengers touched two lakh, however, the drivers’ strike aided in recording the highest-ever ridership on the combined metro lines.

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According to officials from Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), Metro Lines 2A and 7 catered to 2,36,705 passengers on August 4. “The ongoing strike called by the drivers of wet lease operators for BEST has played a major role in the jump of daily passengers,” an official from MMMOCL said.

The smaller stations on this 30-kilometre network connecting Andheri West-Dahisar of Line-2A and Dahisar-Gundavali of Line 7 are also witnessing a huge surge in crowds, the official said, adding stations like Lower Oshiwara, Goregaon East, Dahanukarwadi and few others is seeing more than 10,000 daily passengers compared to 2,000 to 4,000 passengers before the strike.

According to sources, both lines are seeing a surge in daily footfall because the metro stations could be closer than the railway stations for people who might have been taking the BEST buses prior to the strike. “Another reason for the surge might be that on the western suburbs, the BEST buses are running terribly short and jam-packed as well as the auto-rickshaw stands are seeing long serpentine queues,” the source added.

Meanwhile, commuters are enjoying the change in travel patterns. “The metro rail is comfortable and hassle-free. Usually, there is a long waiting time for buses and even auto-rickshaws, whose drivers refuse rides, especially during peak hours. After the drivers’ strike, I am frequently travelling in metro trains,” Hitesh Shah, a resident of Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali, who travels to Andheri East, said.

On Sunday, of the 1,180 wet lease buses of BEST, at least 704 did not come out on the road. Usually Sundays and holidays, the BEST operates fewer buses. On Saturday, the state government allowed private and school buses to carry daily passengers.

An official from the BEST said that to make the matter worse, the wet lease drivers are causing problems for regular drivers employed by BEST and are not allowing them to ply their vehicles on the road. “On August 5, there were incidents at Malwani where some people tried stopping our buses. We called the local police after which buses were again running,” a BEST official said.