Navi Mumbai Bus Conductor’s Thoughtful Act Wins Hearts Amid Heavy Rains

A thoughtful action by a conductor of Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) was appreciated by passengers and duly recognised by the transport body.

On the night of August 8, when heavy rains lashed the city and brought transport to a standstill, a small act by bus conductor no 3112, Gorakhnath Salunkhe, while on duty on bus route no 109 stationed at Nahur railway station made a big difference to commuters who would otherwise have been stranded.

The 40-year-old conductor, posted at the NMMT Ghansoli Depot, has been serving since 2007. On August 8, he was on duty on the last NMMT plying from Nahur–Digha was scheduled to depart at 8:45 p.m, it reportedly left the stand after ten minutes.

In a written note submitted to the transport body, passengers informed that Salunkhe’s decision to delay the departure of the last bus by a few minutes, owing to late-running trains, ensured that several commuters reached home without much hassle.

“Due to heavy rains, trains were running late. If the bus had left on schedule, many passengers would have been forced to look for alternate transport, which would have been both costly and time-consuming. The conductor reportedly kept the bus waiting for another 10 minutes,” said the DMC and NMMT manager Yogesh Kaduskar.

His decision allowed several passengers, including women, men, and senior citizens arriving on delayed trains, to board safely. The bus then left for its onward journey, ensuring that people reached Airoli and Digha despite the disrupted services.

“There wasn’t much thought given. I simply did what felt right at the time. Some passengers told me that trains were late and missing the bus would mean a lot of trouble. I had already seen that there were no rickshaws at the stand and other buses didn’t cover the same route as NMMT 109. So, I instinctively decided to delay the departure by a few minutes,” said Salunkhe.

Passengers later wrote to NMMT praising Salunkhe’s compassion and timely action, calling it an example of humanity in public service. One commuter noted that while other buses like BEST 545 and NMMT 144 terminate at Airoli, Route 109 is the only direct connection to interior of Airoli and Digha making his gesture even more significant that night. " Missing this bus means travelling to Airoli and then hailing an auto to reach to sectors like 18,19 , 20 of the node," said a commuter

Moved by this appreciation, the NMMT administration recognised Salunkhe with a Certificate of Appreciation on Independence Day.