Citizens drive down memory lane on old double decker bus

On Tuesday, to bid adieu the group boarded the bus from Agarkar Chowk, outside the Andheri East railway station for a nine-hour drive to CSMT. The special bus was booked by an NGO Jeevan Jyot Prathistan Sanstha for the citizens

MUMBAI: A group of 72 senior citizens experienced their last joyride on a double decker bus on Tuesday and reminisced a time of their youth when these buses were a coveted mode of transport. The iconic non-airconditioned double decker buses will have their last run on Mumbai’s roads on September 15. They are being phased out to bring in a new fleet of airconditioned double decker buses.

Dhabolkar and other passengers expressed unhappiness about BEST scrapping the buses to replace them with AC buses. “I last travelled in a double decker bus 20-25 years ago. Back then I would use the service quite often. Children loved the front seats on the upper deck. The bus offers a special experience of travel. I am happy to have been a part of this selected group,” said Sulbha Dixit, a 59-year-old homemaker, who took the half-day-long tour. (HT PHOTO)

So, on Tuesday, to bid adieu the group boarded the bus from Agarkar Chowk, outside the Andheri East railway station for a nine-hour drive to CSMT. The special bus was booked by an NGO Jeevan Jyot Prathistan Sanstha for the citizens.

“It is a good way to remember this iconic mode of public transport. I am grateful that I got to travel in one of the last remaining buses from the old lot,” said Anant Dhabolkar, a 70-year-old retired professional who worked in healthcare. “Now-a-days the single-deck buses are smaller and uncomfortable to travel on, unlike the good old double deckers, which are spacious.” Dhabolkar recalled frequently riding on the buses while travelling back home from work. “There were plenty of them on the road. The evenings are better in the double decker buses as they enhance the charm of the city,” said the Andheri resident.

Dhabolkar and other passengers expressed unhappiness about BEST scrapping the buses to replace them with AC buses. “I last travelled in a double decker bus 20-25 years ago. Back then I would use the service quite often. Children loved the front seats on the upper deck. The bus offers a special experience of travel. I am happy to have been a part of this selected group,” said Sulbha Dixit, a 59-year-old homemaker, who took the half-day-long tour.

In the spirit of a cheerful goodbye, the bus was decorated with balloons and after mandatory photo sessions, it pulled out of Agarkar Chowk at noon. Thereafter, it halted at Mumbai airport, and then via the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, it proceeded towards Mahalaxmi, Kamala Nehru Park, Churchgate, Nariman Point, Marine Drive, Gateway of India, CSMT, and then traced its journey back to Andheri.

“We wanted to celebrate this epic moment with senior citizens and booked the bus for 12 hours,” said P Musale, from Jeevan Jyot Prathistan Sanstha. They were provided refreshments, water and snacks inside the bus and also at selected halts.

The four remaining BEST non-ac buses are currently operating between Agarkar Chowk to Seepz and Kurla, thereafter. They will run on the route till Friday.

Modelled on the lines of London’s iconic red buses, the BEST non-AC buses were introduced in 1937 to cope with Mumbai’s growing transportation problems at the time. Dedicated BEST passengers have been demanding that the buses be preserved and that all of them need not go under the vehicle crusher.

“We have requested BEST to display the last two non-AC double decker buses at their museums. This will be a good tourist attraction,” said Rupesh Shelatkar, president, Aapli BEST Aaplisaathi, which has also written to chief minister Eknath Shinde about the matter.

BEST has a fleet of 2966 buses currently in operation. This includes 16 AC double-decker buses as well as wet lease contractor buses. The authorities have been making a move towards more comfortable and modern vehicles; hence vehicles that have completed their life span are being phased out.