Moving around Mumbai

Everyone knows that using public transport in Mumbai can be a pain You stand in long queues for tickets wait a long time for a crowded bus or face refusal from auto and taxi drivers However using public transport is not only quick in some cases it is also environmentally friendly To make this easier let technology solve some common problemsLastmileYulu Yulu is an excellent bicycle and electric cycle rental service that is economical for lastmile connections For example going from the station to your office complex They arent available everywhere yet but when they do make it to your neighbourhood you will wonder what you did without them You will need to know how to cycle to use the vehiclesPublic servicesThe city has many options that let you hire a cab online The most popular are Ola and Uber I usually compare the prices and use the one with the best deal especially when surge pricing kicks in If you plan your day well you can mostly avoid these Always look for the auto optionmdashthey are much cheaper for short distances and rarely have a surgeIf surge pricing gets out of hand it might be a good idea to go back to good old Meru During nonpeak hours Meru might be the more expensive option but during peak hours Meru cabs are more economical because their pricing doesnt changeTicketingRidlr The Metro came around a while back and even now if you are not a daily commuter you will have to stand in line to get a ticket Ridlr saves you the trouble and you can either buy a pass or load a Store Value Pass that lets you keep a balance that diminishes every time you take a trip Ridlr also lets you buy tickets on BEST and NMMT buses However I have never personally tried itUTS Standing in line for tickets at a station can be pain With the UTS app not only can you book a ticket anytime you want but you can also book your season ticket directly There is one caveat if a ticket checker catches you when travelling and your phone is dead you will have to pay a fine as you will be treated as a ticketless travellerBus servicesIf public transport is not your thing bus services like Shuttl guarantee a nice little seat on an airconditioned bus However these buses only operate during peak hours and are not ideal for unscheduled travel There are set routes so you will have to figure out if they have one near your place Also check out CityFlo and GoKruz that offer similar services with some route variationsEssentialmIndicator mIndicators importance cannot be understated It has everything from rickshaw rates to live train tracking and even timings of ferries across Mumbai jetties It is an invaluable app for anyone who plans to use the public transport in the cityGoogle Maps Google Maps are great because they give nearaccurate time estimates and you can even select the time at which you intend to travel and it will predict traffic You can also check approximate cab rates public transport routes and walking routes from the appChinas tech giants to take on GoogleHuawei Xiaomi Oppo and Vivo have created a unified platform for developers to upload apps to all their platforms The Global Developer Service Alliance GDSA will challenge the dominance of Google Play Store and make it easier for developers to market their apps The move may be a direct result of the US ban on Huawei last year GDSA was initially set to launch in March It will initially cover nine regions including India Indonesia and RussiaHonor 9XThe Honor 9X is a pretty decent lowcost alternative It looks good and does basic operations very well The company is pushing this as a lowcost gaming phone but in reality it just scrapes by while playing heavy triple A titles The camera on the phone is pretty good so if you need a phone for taking selfies and pictures this is not a bad option Look for sales if you plan to buyCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates