BEST Does Its Best to Aid Rain-Hit Mumbaikars With 100 Extra Buses

The BEST has been operating the extra buses since 29 August to ferry commuters stranded at various places.

Nearly 300 mm rain in 12 hours paralysed the maximum city.

(Photo: AP)

The Mumbai civic body's transport wing BEST has moved in to fill the void created by suspension of suburban train services due to heavy rains by operating over 100 extra buses.

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has been operating the extra buses since 29 August to ferry commuters stranded at various places, an official of the civic undertaking said.

We ran 109 extra buses on important routes yesterday (29 August) and today (30 August) too, we are running additional buses on the Colaba-Thane route.

Manoj Varade, BEST Spokesperson

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The suburban train network, which carries over 65 lakh passengers a day, is the lifeline of the financial capital.

Also Read: Mumbai Rains: Pregnant Journalist Braves 12-Hour Train Journey

BEST provides support to the transport network with a fleet of nearly 4,000 buses.

BEST sails through Mumbai floods. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Bhartiya Media‏)

Meanwhile, thousands of people who were stranded overnight in offices and other places made their journey back home after train services on the western and central railway were restored.

The Quint’s Ground Report:

Services on the Western Railway resumed around midnight last night, while trains on the Central Railway's (CR) mainline section between CSMT and Kalyan started this morning.

The Harbour line, also run by the CR, still remained suspended, but many preferred to stay back in offices and resumed duty on 30 August.

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Stranded citizens slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for "poor disaster management" while also alleging that hotels overcharged diners who thronged them last night.

A few Mumbaikars said the Maharashtra government should have declared an official holiday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 29 August advised people to step out of their homes only if there is an emergency.

Also Read: Mumbai Rains: How Concretising is Causing Indian Cities to Flood

On 29 August, nearly 300 mm rain in 12 hours paralysed the maximum city. Religious places, municipal schools, railway stations, offices and corporate parks turned into temporary homes for people who were stranded.

Indian Navy distributes breakfast to people in Parel.(Photo: ANI Screenshot)

The road traffic has started getting normal.

In light of the emergency situation, BMC has cancelled leaves granted to its staff and asked them to report to work.

Also Read: Live: Shiv Sena Praises BMC as Mumbai Drowns, At Least 6 Dead

(With inputs from PTI.)

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