Paying double for taxi, waiting 40 minutes for a cab: Mumbai’s nightmare commute after BEST strike

Mumbai’s office goers were seen standing in serpentine queues for autorickshaws and taxis

As many as 30 lakh passengers were hit after 3,700 BEST buses went off the road on Monday owing to a strike planned by unions.

Commuters wait in vain at a bus stop in Borivli. (Pramod Thakur/ HT)

Office goers were seen standing in serpentine queues for autorickshaws and taxis. Despite the government granting private and state transport buses permission to ply in the city, commuters said it was still inadequate.

The queues for autorickshaws are serpentine in Kurla on Monday. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

People outside Kurla railway station told HT about their commuting nightmare.

“The worst thing about the strike is that share-autorickshaw drivers are overcharging. A ride to Bandra-Kurla Complex usually costs Rs10. Today, they are charging double that. The traffic authorities are not taking any action against such people,” said, Ujjwala Parmar, a Vikhroli resident.

“My office is at the BKC. I usually take a bus from Kurla station. I was unaware of the strike and so I have been waiting for an autorickshaw for the past 40 minutes. I think it is better to go on foot,” said Ravi Jain, a Mulund resident.

“I knew about the bus strike and that is why I was trying to book a cab online to go to Bandra (East). It took 20 minutes for the cab to arrive and I had to pay double,” said Kamlesh Raikwar, a Kurla resident.

Andheri commuters struggle to find an empty auto. (Satyabrata Tripathi/HT)

Meanwhile, the Central Railway has opened extra ticketing windows at Kalyan, Thane, Kurla, Diva and CSMT stations to cater to commuters affected by the strike.