Mumbai local, private buses come to rescue due to ongoing BEST strike

An array of public transport in Mumbai came to the rescue of Mumbaikars stranded due to the ongoing BEST strike. Both Western and Central Railways, Metro rail and MSRTC ran extra services while private buses were running too. App-based aggregators, kaali-peeli cabs and auto rickshaws used the situation to their advantage. However, complains of over charging and surge pricing during peak hours did emerge.

The Railways ran extra services during non-peak hours, when the gap between timings of any two trains is less. "We ran 12 special services during the day on both fast and slow trains," said Ravinder Bhakar, Chief PRO, WR. These started from Goregaon and Borivali stations.

The CR also operated extra trains. "We ran four special services, both on Main and Harbour lines," said Sunil Udasi, Chief PRO, Central Railway. These ran between Thane-CSMT and Vashi-CSMT. The railways ferry 78 lakh commuters everyday with 3000 plus services.

Traffic police were deployed at all the railway stations to ensure that rickshaws and taxis were easily available unlike on most days when most drivers refuse to ply especially if the passenger's route doesn't match with their preference. The roads in the city saw an increased footfall of pedestrians, share autos and taxis, the police said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Amitesh Kumar said, "To prevent the high-handedness of rickshaw and taxi drivers, our men were manning the premises outside railway stations."