To make lives easier for the commuters, BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport) has started AC bus services from Andheri Station to Terminal 2 of the international airport. BEST has mentioned that AC bus rides from T2 of the international airport to the railway station will only take Rs 6.
BEST already has a couple of buses running in the Andheri route, so this will offer more options to travellers arriving at the international airport.
This service will run from 6 AM in the morning with the last bus leaving at 11 PM. These buses will take the A-337 route on its way to and from Terminal 2 of the international airport. The second bus route involves going through A-441 from Agarkar Chowk in Andheri (W) to MHADA Colony at Majas.
The third AC bus will run on the A-338 route from Agarkar Chowk to Sahar Cargo Complex, the authorities added. These three low-cost AC buses will be available every 10 minutes thus offering enough options for travellers waiting at the airport or at the origin points in the city.
BEST is reportedly planning to add more buses in the future with connectivity to the nearest Metro stations as well.
The authorities have taken this call to curb the flow of illegal auto-rickshaw drivers who fleece travelers at every opportunity. The union leader for Mumbai’s Autorickshawmen, Shashank Rao has mentioned that there are over 30,000 illegal autorickshaws running in the city. He added that several rickshaws run with fake number plates.
Also Read: Autorickshaw And Kaali-Peeli Cab Fares May Increase By ₹1 To ₹3
A large number of illegal autorickshaws reportedly run in the city between 12 AM to 6 AM each day. The fact that there are no RTO or police officers to monitor their flow at this time gives these autorickshaws free rein on the streets.
Citizens have recommended the officials to conduct secret operations at stations like Andheri, Bandra, Jogeshwari, and so on to nab these illegal autorickshaws who frequently overcharge their passengers.
While the RTO has suspended some licenses following complaints from the public, a lot of these cases go unnoticed given that commuters are usually in a rush or exhausted from a long trip and simply have no patience to argue or reason with the autorickshaw drivers.