14 July,2009 08:07 AM IST | | Somita Pal
20 new AC buses on the route from today
Navi Mumbai bus commuters can now enjoy a cool ride. Starting today, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) will start air-conditioned bus services between Navi Mumbai and Bandra.
An NMMT official said, "Twenty Volvo buses will ply between Navi Mumbai and Bandra every 30 minutes.
The aim is to encourage motorists to travel by bus and reduce traffic."
Taking the bus will also be cheaper. "Travelling by the NMMT bus on this route will help commuters save at least Rs 300 per day on petrol and toll charges. The bus fare will be around Rs 45," added the NMMT official.
The bus service will also give a stiff competition to the BEST, which runs around 16 non-AC buses between Bandra and Navi Mumbai. While the BEST caters to 3,000 of the 6,000 passengers that travel on this route regularly, NMMT plans to reach out to at least 4,000 commuters.u00a0
Dilip Patel, chairman, BEST committee, said, "We don't have any major competition from NMMT. Traffic is a major issue for buses plying between Navi Mumbai and Bandra. This is why we have not been able to increase bus services despite the demand."
