As authorities snooze, Sion Circle turns into a bus stand

You will never get a cab to Sion Circle. You have to walk all the way from Sion flyover— the point beyond which cabbies refuse to ply. The perennially congested Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road is to be blamed for it. The constant flow of heavy-duty private buses coupled with other vehicles—both private and public—test motorists' patience and drive cabbies off roads.

Of the 40+ pick-up points for private intercity buses across Mumbai and its metropolitan region, Sion Circle is a major one. Hundreds of buses arrive here before departing for Andheri or Chembur depending on the destination. The BEST bus depot and a black and yellow taxi stand add to the traffic woes.

"We have been dealing with this traffic for years now. There are several private bus operators who operate from Sion Circle. Three major traffic signals in the vicinity intensifies the congestion further," said J Shah, a resident of Sion.

The bus operators on the other hand claim that they have been demanding for proper bus stand for parking and halts. However, the state government has turned a blind eye to their demand. "The government has issued us permits to ply but has made no effort to provide adequate infrastructure for parking and halting of these buses," said Pushparaj Shetty, VP (intercity operations), Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatana.

With kaali-peeli cabs parked on the extreme left of the road, these buses are forced to double park obstructing traffic.