With 4,445 buses and 24 lakh passengers every single day against nearly 18 lakh commuters by Central and Western Railway together, the BEST has emerged as the new main lifeline of the city. Accessible to just 18 categories of essential workers, and women in a fixed time window, local trains are yet to open for the general public.

After the COVID-induced lockdown came into effect from March 23, officials said, BEST did not stop its services for even a single day, even as the locals, often referred to as Mumbai's lifeline, came to a grinding halt.