Aqua Line Metro Misery: Glitches, Gimmicks, Gaps

After all the fanfare surrounding a high-tech, modern Metro railway system, the travel experience on the Aqua Line section of Mumbai Metro Line 3, which officially opened to the public on Monday, is utterly miserable. Services might improve in the coming months, but the current situation is dire.

-  invitation Vidyadhar Date

After several hours of travelling around, it's clear that despite years of preparation, the authorities have failed to provide basic services; right outside their headquarters, no less. The situation is particularly bad around the BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) station; reaching it or exiting can be life-threatening. It's not just the Metro authorities; others also share the blame. After years of traffic chaos and the Metro's impact on the BEST bus network, this is the result.

Taking a bus from Bandra East station to the Income Tax bus stop, you'll find yourself facing the main carriageway on Bandra Kurla Road, teeming with heavy traffic. Crossing to the station is an ordeal - no traffic junction, no crossing signals, just the threat of serious injury or worse. A simple traffic signal could have been a game-changer.