No inter- city buses in Panvel makes commuting expensive

NEW PANVEL: Residents of New Panvel, Kamothe and Khandeshwar continue to face commuting troubles as there is no inter-city bus service in the node and autorickshaw drivers charge exorbitant prices for even a small distance.

“The lack of a bus service is very disappointing and causes huge inconvenience to the residents. Also, there is no share-auto system. A commuter has no other option than shelling out Rs20 or Rs30 for the minimum distance,” said Probir Kumar Bose, resident of New Panvel.

Although the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) had proposed to start a mini-bus service on a ring-route basis, the proposal got shelved, leaving the commuters in lurch.

“Most autorickshaw drivers do not ply on meter and this makes travelling a costly affair. I spend more than Rs60 for travelling to and fro from the station every day,” said Neha Gharpude, a resident of Panvel.

Residents of nearby areas such as Kamothe and Khandeshwar face the same problem. “There is a total monopoly of autorickshaw drivers in Kamothe. The minimum fare is almost double than the normal price,” said Uttam Banerjee, a resident of Kamothe.

Residents claimed that while developing the Kamothe node, the City and Industrial Development Corporation ( Cidco) had also constructed a bus stand outside the Mansarovar railway station. However, NMMT bus services are yet to start here as they are facing severe opposition from the autorickshaw union.

Residents are demanding that officials from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) inspect the situation as autorickshaws don’t ply on electronic meter.

“The government had introduced e-meters to stop auto drivers from overcharging commuters. However, little has changed,” said Deepti Patil, Kamothe resident.

The RTO officials, on their part, claim that they have installed e-meters in 95% of autorickshaws in the city and urge commuters to complain on the spot, assuring stringent action against offenders.

“We are constantly conducting drives to make sure that auto drivers follow rules and regulations,” said an official from the Panvel RTO