Nerul locals wait for more buses

LOST CONNECTION Residents want more buses to ply through sector 50, which they say is one of the most poorly-connected parts of the node

NAVI MUMBAI: Frequent breakdowns and long intervals between buses have led residents of Nerul to demand more services for their area.

Nerul locals are especially irked with the quality of service in sector 50, which is one of the most poorly-connected sectors in the city according to them.

“Either more buses should pass through sector 50, or Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport officials should look into improving the frequency of existing buses. It is high time the NMMT concentrates on sectors which are in the interior and help improve connectivity at least till the railway station and highways,” said Sanjay Bhise, 27, Nerul resident. “Several buses break down in the middle of their routes. Several services are also cancelled because of this. NMMT needs to not only introduce new routes, but also improve the quality of buses,” said Nikhil Gupta, a resident of sector 50.

Residents from Nerul have demanded bus services to Nerul station, Belapur and Kopar Khairane. Commuters pointed out that bus no. 19, which runs between Belapur and Kopar Khairane is highly irregular and commuters have to wait for almost 40 minutes before the next bus arrives. However, according to NMMT data, the frequency should be 25 minutes with 6 buses making 39 trips in all.

Kharghar residents have also raised similar demands. “Things are worse in Kharghar as you won’t be able to find a single autorickshaw driver who plies by meter. As we do not have a proper bus service, we have to depend on autorickshaws and shell out more money” said Sangeeta Shah, 30, Kharghar resident. Also, there has been a long- pending demand for a depot at Kharghar.

“NMMT officials often have cited poor response from locals to scrap buses routes. But the reality is that the bus services are so irregular that locals prefer to pool autos together or use personal vehicle to commute. If bus services are improved, they will get good response” said Lalita Kapadia, Kharghar resident.

When contacted, NMMT official agreed that there is requirement of new bus routes but pointed out to the buses crunch they are facing. NMMT has proposed to add 35 new bus services.