Sea link set to be tourist hotspot

Bandra-Worli Sea Link may soon join the Gateway of India and CST on the Mumbai darshan list; operators say it will help cover more spots in less time

Commuters are not the only ones eagerly awaiting the opening of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL). Mumbai's intra-city tour operators are just as impatient. They are now eyeing the bridge as a tourist destination.

Many "Mumbai Darshan" operators have already begun seeking permission from the RTO to allow their tourist buses to halt at the bridge. "Since we heard of BWSL's opening, we have been asking the RTO for permission to allow tourist buses to halt on the bridge for a few minutes. But we are yet to get a reply," said Sunil Savla, proprietor of Neeta Tours And Travels.

Other benefits

The bridge will help the tour operators in other ways as well. MiD DAY had earlier reported how traffic congestion in the city had forced tour operators to cut down on their itinerary from 52 tourist spots to 37. Due to traffic constraints, tourists were only allowed to get off the bus at 15 stops, or sometimes even fewer. The operators were increasingly skipping spots in Dadar, Bandra and Andheri. But, they are optimistic that once the bridge opens, their buses will enjoy a smooth ride.u00a0

"The new bridge will not only mean a smooth journey, it will also help us cover more spots in a shorter duration," added Savla.

Others like Harsh Kotak, owner of Modern Travels, echoed Savla. "We will be taking tourists to BWSL and covering the Bandra-Worli belt, which has been neglected in our tours so far," he said.

"We don't want tourists to miss BWSL. This will also help us woo more tourists. We are now waiting for the exact date of BWSL's opening, so that we can print brochures accordingly," he added.

But not every one is as gung ho about adding BWSL to the tourist route. Deranna Shetty, owner of Darshan Travels, Vile Parle, said, "Tourists won't be ready to pay more. The toll cost will have to be borne by us. We may not stop at the sea link, but might show them the sea link from the bus."

BEST darshan
BEST will soon be introducing an Express bus service an open-deck bus ride on BWSL. The service will start from Bandra-Kurla-Complex.