Mira Bhayandar: Women avail free ride in MBMT buses on Women’s Day

Women travelling by bus operated by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT) were in for a sweet surprise on Tuesday as the public transport wing of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) offered a free journey on occasion of the International Women’s Day.

As per official statistics sourced out from the MBMT, as many as 21,461 women commuters availed the free journey facility. Around 1,152 women commuters had availed of a similar free ride offer last year. The free rides offered on International Women’s Day cost the MBMC Rs. 1,43,995 and Rs. 2,73,786 in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

As the bus services offered by MBMC’s public transport authority gradually reach out to more parts in and out of the twin-city, the footfall of commuters has crossed the pre-Covid levels. On Tuesday the number of commuters travelling in MBMT buses on a single day reached 65,734- the highest since the introduction of public transport services.

Urging people to use public transport to minimize pollution and ensure healthy air quality, municipal commissioner- Dilip Dhole said, “We are on a mission to enhance public transportation in the form of reliable, comfortable and affordable bus services in the twin-city,” The average number of commuters travelling in MBMT buses on a daily basis has already crossed the 60,000 mark.

Before the lockdown was imposed in March-2020, the average number stood at 40,000 commuters per day. The civic administration has a total of 74 buses including- 59 regular buses, 5 air-conditioned Volvo buses and 10 Midi buses in its existing fleet. Currently 71 out of the 74 buses are plying on 19 routes in and out of the twin-city. The public transport sector was one of the worst hit due to the pandemic.