Pune residents give thumbs up to Swargate to Mumbai airport Shivneri bus service
Response to the Mumbai airport to Pune Shivneri bus service by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), started on December 16, has been overwhelming, according to officials, who added that the MSRTC has decided to start a route from Pune to Borivali via the Mumbai domestic airport.
Speaking to Sachin Mulick, a bus driver on the Mumbai to Pune via airport route, said, “We have a five-minute stop at the new kiosk set up at the domestic airport. The response has been good and five passengers got in at the airport and got off at Wakad and Chandani Chowk. There was a look of surprise when people saw a Shivneri at the airport, but they were relieved that they did not have to wait for the airport with their luggage.”
The price of a ticket on the route is Rs 525.
According to Pune divisional traffic controller, Yamini Joshi, “We had a meeting on Tuesday and looking at the response to the we received for the newly-started Shivneri services to Mumbai domestic airport, we decided to begin a service from Swargate, Pune to Borivali Nancy colony via Mumbai domestic airport.
“The AC Shivneri bus will operate from Mumbai domestic Terminal 1, where a kiosk has been set up, with a ticket controller incharge. While in Swargate, the bus will leave from platform number 3. The first bus will start at 5am which will reach domestic airport at 8:15am and then, will further travel to Borivali Nancy Colony to reach by 8:45am,” said Joshi.
The bus for Borivali will leave every hour with the last bus at 10pm which will reach domestic airport at 1:15am and Borivali at 1:45 am. There will be 18 trips everyday.
Mandar Raravikar, a resident of Balewadi, often has to travel to Mumbai to catch his flights to Bengaluru and Indore and looks at sharing a prepaid taxi. “If the Shivneri is going to make a stop at the Mumbai domestic airport, it is a great idea and besides, the MSRTC Shivneri is a very good comfortable bus service.”
