Soon, a South Mumbai darshan for just Rs5

Soon, one will be able to travel to prominent places in south Mumbai from CST and Churchgate stations for just Rs5.

The transport wing of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) has decided to launch a special bus service titled “Fort Ferry” on two routes. A proposal for the same was cleared by a BEST committee on Friday.

Fort Ferry-1 and Fort Ferry-2 routes will operate clock-wise and anti-clockwise, respectively.

The buses plying on Ferry-1 route will start from the bus stand outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). It will pass through Ballard Pier, NCPA, Churchgate and finally reach Hutatma Chowk. The buses plying on Fort Ferry-2 route will start from Hutatma Chowk and pass through Churchgate, NCPA, Ballard Pier and reach CST.

The buses on Fort Ferry-1 route will have “Fort Ferry” written in white, while the buses on Ferry-2 route will have “Fort Ferry-2” written in yellow. These route names will be written in a logo form to give the 20 low-floor Starbuses that will ply exclusively on these routes a distinct identity.

“In peak hours, a bus will be available virtually every minute. Otherwise, the frequency will be 5-6 minutes,” said a BEST official, adding, “these buses will have a flat fare of Rs5 and a monthly pass will cost a little over Rs250”.

Presently, there are 16 bus routes in South Mumbai on which 118 buses ply, ferrying thousands of commuters.