Buses diverted, passengers clueless

Potholes – already the bane of the city’s commuters – seem to be causing more trouble by the day. Passengers of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking buses have had to face sudden

Potholes – already the bane of the city’s commuters – seem to be causing more trouble by the day.

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Passengers of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking buses have had to face sudden changes in route and longer travel time, over the last few days.

Bus routes have been temporarily diverted in several parts of the city, as the municipal corporation is repairing the pothole-filled roads. However, these diversions are not pre-planned and passengers are not adequately intimated about the changes. Moreover, sometimes buses don’t halt at designated bus stops.

“Buses take a minor detour, for an hour or so, in case repair work in underway,” said a BEST official, requesting anonymity

Sources said that there are bad roads and potholes even on diverted routes, which augments the trouble for bus drivers, who are forced to pass through them.

“Wherever there are bad and waterlogged roads, buses navigate accordingly,” said OP Gupta, general manager, BEST.

BEST officials also claim that technical failures and damage to the buses increases due to potholes. The wheel, axle and suspension of the bus are particularly affected. “This makes matters worse for us and on diverted routes too, both the buses and the passengers have to suffer,” said Ravi Raja, member, BEST Committee.