The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) that scrapped plans to reuse buses at beaches like Aksa, Juhu, Versova, Madh and Marve said, it will not be technically feasible to have them along city beaches.
Plans to convert old buses of the state transport corporation into eateries, changing rooms, lockers, and toilets at city's beaches have been scrapped. The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) that scrapped plans to reuse buses at beaches like Aksa, Juhu, Versova, Madh and Marve said, it will not be technically feasible to have them along city beaches.
The MMB said that the wind along beaches is such that it will corrode the metal of the junked buses. "We have scrapped the plan of using junked buses at beaches for eateries and other purposes. The metal of buses will easily catch rust on coming in contact with wind close to the sea, and maintenance will be costly," said an MMB official.
Not only for city beaches, the MMB also had plans to extend usage of old buses across 78 beaches along the state's 720-kilometre-long coastline. The plan involved buses sourced from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport along with those sourced from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport.
The MMB official added, "Considering we are promoting water sports facilities, something like changing and locker rooms would have worked but ultimately old buses are made up of metal and will catch rust. Also, receiving permits for cooking or serving food inside buses would have increased administrative hassles.
This plan was part of MMB's coastline management programme under which it is also focussing on bringing in water sports facilities at several beaches in the state. They also plan to have floating restaurants like the one near the Bandra-Worli Sea-Link.
Maharashtra has around 78 beaches of which ten are in city, followed by six in Thane and Palghar respectively, 15 in Raigad, 26 in Ratnagiri and 21 in Sindhudurg.
The Problem
The MMB said that the wind along beaches is such that it will corrode metal of junked buses. Rusted metal won’t be good changing or locker rooms and maintenance will be costly
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