Navi Mumbai Airport bus stop arrangements were made near Panvel for more than 200 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses carrying Ganeshotsav passengers from Mumbai and its suburbs towards the Konkan region, according to a report by Loksatta – Navi Mumbai.
The buses reached Panvel from depots in western Maharashtra, Pune and other districts on Thursday night. From Friday morning, they were dispatched in stages towards Konkan after being brought together near the road alongside Navi Mumbai Airport. The temporary arrangement was made to support passengers who had booked MSRTC services for the festival journey.
The buses were refuelled in Panvel before beginning their onward trips from Friday afternoon. Many passengers from Mumbai’s Konkan-origin communities had reserved seats months in advance through the Parel depot. Representatives of various political parties had also reserved buses for passengers from Mumbai’s suburbs and the Thane region, the report said.
However, the temporary staging arrangement exposed the absence of a large dedicated bus parking area and crew-rest facility in the Navi Mumbai-Panvel region. Buses were parked along the Ulwe-Karanjade route, near the airport, while drivers were required to spend the night inside their vehicles because no separate accommodation or rest arrangement had been provided.
The report said the number of toilets available for drivers was inadequate. The MSRTC provided sealed water bottles and arranged dinner, but drivers complained that breakfast was not available on Friday morning. Hotels and other food facilities were also located five to six kilometres from the airport-side road, adding to the inconvenience for staff waiting to operate the festival services.
The temporary stop was created as a festival-season operational measure rather than as a permanent terminal facility. The buses were released in stages towards Konkan after arriving from different depots, with the arrangement intended to manage the seasonal movement of passengers from the Mumbai metropolitan region. The report did not specify how long the temporary stopping arrangement would continue or whether a permanent MSRTC facility was being planned near Navi Mumbai Airport.
