BEST was able to run its CNG buses on Monday and till late afternoon on Tuesday using fuel stocked at the Anik Depot the previous night. Officials said it would have been a crisis if the CNG problem had persisted further
People queue up as they wait for transport at a bus stop in Byculla on Tuesday. PIC/SHADAB KHAN
Travellers coming to Mumbai in outstation trains faced hassles as cab aggregators (Ola/Uber), kaali-peelis and autorickshaws outside railway stations were low in number and charged higher fares, but BEST bus services remained close to normal till afternoon.
BEST was able to run its CNG buses on Monday and till late afternoon on Tuesday using fuel stocked at the Anik Depot the previous night. Officials said it would have been a crisis if the CNG problem had persisted further. The BEST played strong as it also has a fleet of 1273 electric buses and a fleet of 1295 CNG buses (666 midi buses and 629 full-sized buses).
“Even on Tuesday morning, CNG buses were operational on several routes. For example, the Majas Depot in Jogeshwari East, which has more than 80 CNG-powered buses, had all of them plying and the depot was quite empty, indicating buses are operational,” an official said. A BEST spokesperson said that there were no issues on Tuesday as well. “But if the crisis had extended, bus services could have been affected,” he said.
Voices
‘We reached Mumbai after a 16-hour journey, but the struggle didn’t end here. No autos were available outside the station. We had to wait for almost 45 minutes just to find a ride’
Aparna Rajan, who arrived at Kurla LTT from north India
‘I came from Ahmedabad this morning, and the queues for taxis are unbelievable. Everyone is tired, luggage in hand, and just hoping the crisis ends soon’
Ritika Shah, a commuter at Dadar East
‘We planned to reach our hotel quickly, but the CNG shortage slowed everything down. The fare for the few available taxis has shot up too’
Vivek Sinha, businessman from Gurugram
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