Mumbai
GOING
AROUND IN MUMBAI
Road:
Mumbai has probably the best roads in the country. Traffic is
fast and the people follow traffic rules. During peak hours
traffic jams are common in a few bottlenecks in the city proper.
Cars and taxis are common. The taxis usually sport an indication
on their sides showing their registered areas, east or west.
They are entitled to refuse trips at night far way from their
registered places. In the suburbs autorickshaws are available.
Rates for taxis are fixed, Rs.11 for the first km and Rs.1.50
thereafter. Autorickshaws and cabs... After midnight the rates
increase by 25%.
By
far the commonest mode of road transport is by bus. The electricity
company runs buses all over Mumbai. In general, queues are enforced.
Express buses and special deluxe air conditioned buses also
are available.
Because
of the distances involved in commuting, motorcycles and scooters
are favoured only by people constantly on the move, like salespersons
or those fortunate enough to live and work in the suburbs. Except
during the monsoons, Hovercraft services run between the business
district and remote suburbs. Overall, ferry transport is lacking
in Mumbai, unlike in large coastal cities elsewhere in the world.
Rail:
Mumbai is basically aligned in a narrow north-south direction
and the suburban railway stations are strung out along these axes.
The trains are fast but terribly overcrowded. The western side
of the city is served by the Western railway with its terminus
at Churchgate and the suburban trains run up to Virar. Some of
the important stations are Dadar, Bandra, Andheri and Borivli.
Crossovers
to other railway networks is possible at a few junctions like
Dadar. The Central railway suburban lines run all the way from
CST (Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, earlier VT) to Karjat and Kasara
deep into the mainland. The important junctions are Dadar, Kurla,
Thane, and Kalyan. A smaller branch line called the Harbour branch
connects CST to Bandra on the Western railway, and Mankhurd to
New Mumbai across the Thane creek.
Since trains are fast and distances are large there is no practical
alternative to suburban train travel especially for those who
live in the suburbs and have to commute to work. Trains are inevitably
overcrowded, even the first class compartments. Until one gets
used to the finer points of this travel, it can be nightmarish.
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