Thousands of commuters relying on Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) buses find themselves stranded, as the transport wing of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) ceased all services to Uran starting Friday night. The NMMT administration halted bus operations along routes 31 and 30 to Uran as of Friday evening. This decision came in response to drivers and conductors declining to operate on these routes. Additionally, the transport authority had previously suspended route number 34, which links Jui Nagar station to Uran Township.
Commuters will encounter major challenges starting Monday, especially with the reopening of offices and schools. "We'll be forced to depend on private vehicles such as EECO and others for commuting between Uran and Navi Mumbai," remarked Ramadas Shendge, a Uran resident whose workplace is in Koparkhairane. He added that this will be costly and getting seats during peak hours will be a challenge.On February 8, an NMMT bus operating on route number 34 from Jui Nagar to Uran collided with a tempo and two motorbikes in Khopta en route to Uran. Tragically, one person lost their life, and another sustained injuries in the accident.
The incident, which resulted in a fatality, prompted enraged citizens to block the road for several hours in Khopta. They also assaulted the bus driver and held both drivers hostage for a few hours. Later, the police brought the situation under control. In response, NMMT employees initiated their strike and refused to ply buses on this route. Employees, primarily drivers, of NMMT, staged a protest following the alleged assault on a driver and conductor in Khopta. The strike resulted in the temporary suspension of NMMT bus service on the Juinagar-Koproli route. With 52 trips serving over 5,000 daily passengers, the suspension has had a severe impact on commuters.
The recently opened suburban train services to Uran have provided some relief, albeit limited. However, commuters are voicing concerns over the low frequency of trains. They are demanding an increase in train frequency to better accommodate passengers relying on NMMT buses. NMMT has been running services to Uran for the last 20 years. The suspension of all services is also seen as closing of non-profitable services.