IN PHOTOS: Mumbai`s Metro may be swift, but the journey home still hits a snag

Updated On: 05 May, 2025 09:00 AM IST | Anisha Shrivastava

The Metro may be swift, but stepping out often feels like hitting a brick wall of chaos. For many commuters, the final stretch from station to destination is the most gruelling part. (Pic/Satej Shinde)

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<p>Shiny new Metro lines haven’t erased the city’s messy last-mile muddle. BEST is now mulling over dedicated “Metro Circuit” buses to close this frustrating gap.</p>

2/16

Shiny new Metro lines haven’t erased the city’s messy last-mile muddle. BEST is now mulling over dedicated “Metro Circuit” buses to close this frustrating gap.

<div>The directive comes straight from CM Fadnavis, aimed at upping BEST’s self-revenue. A study is underway, but a bus shortage means promises might outpace progress.</div>

3/16

The directive comes straight from CM Fadnavis, aimed at upping BEST’s self-revenue. A study is underway, but a bus shortage means promises might outpace progress.

<div>Mumbai boasts 43 operational Metro stations, yet connectivity falls off a cliff just outside the exits. The walk, the wait, and the wallet-draining auto rides remain all too familiar.`</div>

4/16

Mumbai boasts 43 operational Metro stations, yet connectivity falls off a cliff just outside the exits. The walk, the wait, and the wallet-draining auto rides remain all too familiar.`

<div>Mid-day traced the trouble at five hotspots where commuters battle the broken link. At Dahanukarwadi, you’re lucky if an auto stops and luckier still if it doesn’t fleece you.</div>

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Mid-day traced the trouble at five hotspots where commuters battle the broken link. At Dahanukarwadi, you’re lucky if an auto stops and luckier still if it doesn’t fleece you.

<div>A short 3.5 km ride to Charkop Sector 3 often becomes a 25-minute logistical puzzle. Metro passengers here long for just one reliable feeder bus into the heart of the suburb.</div>

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A short 3.5 km ride to Charkop Sector 3 often becomes a 25-minute logistical puzzle. Metro passengers here long for just one reliable feeder bus into the heart of the suburb.

<div>Despite nearby bus stops, no service starts from the station and cuts through Charkop sectors. For residents like Trupti Divecha, the AC comfort of the Metro ends in rickshaw roulette.</div>

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Despite nearby bus stops, no service starts from the station and cuts through Charkop sectors. For residents like Trupti Divecha, the AC comfort of the Metro ends in rickshaw roulette.

<div>Mahak Khushalani speaks for many when she calls for direct buses to Bhandup and beyond. At Gundavli, the only thing direct about BKC travel is the frustration.</div>

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Mahak Khushalani speaks for many when she calls for direct buses to Bhandup and beyond. At Gundavli, the only thing direct about BKC travel is the frustration.

<div>Santacruz Metro is equally marooned, especially for workers heading to BKC or Kalina. Buses from the Santacruz Depot are far off and full up, autos thin on the ground.</div>

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Santacruz Metro is equally marooned, especially for workers heading to BKC or Kalina. Buses from the Santacruz Depot are far off and full up, autos thin on the ground.

<div>Aarey JVLR station sees steady footfall but offers only crowded buses that don’t begin there. With no dedicated auto or taxi stands, the platform exit is where the real race begins.</div>

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Aarey JVLR station sees steady footfall but offers only crowded buses that don’t begin there. With no dedicated auto or taxi stands, the platform exit is where the real race begins.

<div>Sakinaka Metro is a magnet for commuters but lets them down the moment they step off. Buses from Saki Vihar Road are long-haul services—hardly ideal for a local Powai trip.</div>

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Sakinaka Metro is a magnet for commuters but lets them down the moment they step off. Buses from Saki Vihar Road are long-haul services—hardly ideal for a local Powai trip.

<div>Six buses pass through Darpan Cinema stop, but only one skirts BKC without entering it. Yash Khanvilkar takes a bus to Kalanagar and walks—proof of patchy planning.</div>

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Six buses pass through Darpan Cinema stop, but only one skirts BKC without entering it. Yash Khanvilkar takes a bus to Kalanagar and walks—proof of patchy planning.

<div>A daily 2.5 km trek post-Metro is hardly the definition of seamless travel. Professor Desai rightly suggests syncing shuttle services with university hours for maximum utility.</div>

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A daily 2.5 km trek post-Metro is hardly the definition of seamless travel. Professor Desai rightly suggests syncing shuttle services with university hours for maximum utility.

<div>Commuters are left cobbling together awkward transfers to cover a relatively short stretch. Manoj Sharma sums it up: demand is there, the system just doesn’t reflect it.</div>

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Commuters are left cobbling together awkward transfers to cover a relatively short stretch. Manoj Sharma sums it up: demand is there, the system just doesn’t reflect it.

<p>Rohan Kadam’s daily juggle from Powai to Andheri shows how a simple feeder bus could transform commutes. Until last-mile issues are ironed out, Mumbai’s Metro network remains an incomplete revolution.</p>

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Rohan Kadam’s daily juggle from Powai to Andheri shows how a simple feeder bus could transform commutes. Until last-mile issues are ironed out, Mumbai’s Metro network remains an incomplete revolution.

<div>Auto fares can hit Rs 70, pushing many towards crowded or convoluted bus options. Residents in Chandivli and Tunga Village say a shuttle would cut cost and save sanity.</div>

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Auto fares can hit Rs 70, pushing many towards crowded or convoluted bus options. Residents in Chandivli and Tunga Village say a shuttle would cut cost and save sanity.

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IN PHOTOS: Mumbai`s Metro may be swift, but the journey home still hits a snag

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Photo of Day

Breaking barriers and building pyramids — Women power in action!