Kalyan-New Panvel bus service soon: KDMT

While Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT) is earning satisfactory revenue from its bus services to Panvel station (W) bus depot, the transport arm of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is contemplating of starting a similar bus service between Kalyan and Panvel station (E). The bus service will start once KDMT has added more vehicles to its fleet.

“We have planned the route from Kalyan to Panvel station (E) and are waiting for the number of buses to increase in our fleet. We will be getting 20 new mini buses by the end of this month, and once we get those vehicles, we will divert our regular buses on the new route,” KDMT general manager (transport), Sudhir Raut said.

The official added that this new route has been planned keeping in view the many commuters who travel to the industrial area near Shil Phata and Dombivli for work. “These buses will be beneficial to these commuters as they have to cross over to the western side of Panvel station to hail a KDMT bus,” Raut added.

Prakash Vichare, convenor of the senior citizens forum that has been following up the issue with KDMT officials, said that officials have promised to commence the service in a month.

Meanwhile, Vichare added that Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), that had promised to start an ST bus service between New Panvel and Dadar Ganesh Chaturthi onwards, albeit on an experimental basis, has expressed its inability to do so.

“When we contacted the assistant regional manager of MSRTC, the official said that they have planned the route, but will be unable to start the service during Ganeshotsav as most of their buses are plying the Konkan route during this time,” Vichare said. The official has requested us to wait till the end of Ganeshotsav, he added.