BEST will operate 21 additional buses across Mumbai on November 15 and 16 to help devotees reach Chhath Puja venues, with extra services, staff, security personnel and a breakdown van deployed to manage the expected passenger rush.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking’s Traffic Department said the additional services would connect devotees travelling to Juhu Beach, Dadar Chowpatty, Ganesh Ghat in Powai and Gorai Creek. The plan covers Sunday evening and Monday morning, when people are expected to travel to beaches, lakes and other designated locations for the celebrations.
BEST will run 15 additional buses on Sunday evening and six on Monday morning. The Sunday services will operate from different depots to improve connectivity to Juhu Beach. Four buses from the Santacruz depot will run on Route 231 between Santacruz station West and Juhu Beach from 2 pm. Three buses will operate on Route 203 between Andheri station West and Juhu Beach from 6 pm.
Two buses from the Majas depot will operate on Route 339 between Juhu Bus Station and Majas Depot from 4 pm, while three buses from the Malvani depot will run on Route A256 between Juhu Bus Station and Malvani Depot from 2 pm. Three buses from the Gorai depot will operate on Route A203 between Borivali station West and Juhu Beach from 3 pm.
For Monday morning, additional services are scheduled between 6 am and 7.30 am. Three buses on Route A203 will run from Borivali station West to Juhu Beach, operated by the Gorai depot. Two buses each on Routes 231 and 203 will operate from Santacruz station West and Andheri station West respectively towards Juhu Bus Station.
The BEST administration has also directed depot managers from Backbay, Worli, Santacruz, Oshiwara, Malvani, Gorai, Dindoshi, Vikhroli and Mulund to deploy officers and inspectors at nearby beaches, chowpattys, ponds and lakes within their divisions. Routes connecting Girgaon Chowpatty, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, Juhu Beach and Juhu Bus Station have been instructed to operate with their full complement of buses.
To manage passenger movement at Juhu Beach, two inspectors each from the Bandra, Oshiwara and Goregaon divisions will report to the Santacruz depot at 2 pm on November 15. A security officer, one constable and two security guards will be deployed at Juhu Beach from noon on Sunday until 8 am on Monday.
A breakdown van will remain stationed at Juhu Beach from 3 pm on Sunday to respond to vehicle-related issues. BEST has also kept open the option of operating more buses depending on passenger demand. Depot managers must submit feedback on passenger numbers, earnings and kilometres operated to the Planning Department by November 20.
