After the Aqua Line was thrown open to the public, mid-day took a ride during peak hours to experience first-hand the crowd scene as well as public transport and last-mile connectivity options.
Here’s what we found:
Morning
8 am to 9 am
The nearly one-hour journey from Aarey JVLR to Cuffe Parade was bereft of crowds and near seamless at 8 am. Several travellers arrived via auto and private vehicles, owing to a lack of convenient bus or pedestrian routes.
With zero internet, a commuter takes to reading via conventional media on the Metro. PIC/ADITI ALURKAR
Deepak K, who boarded the train at Seepz and works at Vidhan Bhavan, termed the Aqua Line a source of relief amid the incessant bustle of the city. Powai residents Mohan Jacob and Akash took an auto to Marol to travel via Metro to their Colaba offices. “The privileged and underprivileged boarding the Metro is a sign of a truly developed city,” Mohan said. They, however, rued the lack of last-mile connectivity.
9 am to 10 am
While some commuters stated that the Metro had brought relief, others said local trains still had no match and were the most convenient mode of transport. Borivli resident Jui Khatu said, “As someone travelling from Borivli to CSMT, it hasn’t really made my commute smoother. The lack of direct connectivity means I’m still taking the same local train every morning.”
Nayantara Gupta said, “The service as a whole is great, comfortable, and quick. But there is no phone network while you are underground, a challenge to start the mobile app to access the QR code on the ticket.” Rajesh Hardikar, sales analyst, said. “I managed to save at least an hour. Since I have to travel just four days a week from home to my workplace, this is a convenient option.”
A floor manager helps a commuter at a ticket vending machine at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Metro station in Fort. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
Sushil Jadhav said, “I live in Vikhroli and work in South Mumbai. It takes me just 15-20 minutes on my two-wheeler to reach Aarey JVLR station and another 50-55 minutes to reach South Mumbai. The Metro is costlier than travelling by train, but the convenience makes it worth it.”
10 am to 12 noon
Aarey JVLR station was crowded. A ticket counter attendant said, “We are almost out of cash and spare change due to the number of people travelling beyond Acharya Atre Chowk. We are asking people to make UPI payments.”This proved troublesome due to the lack of mobile network in underground stations and lack of ATMs. Lack of a proper parking lot at the Aarey JVLR station also irked commuters.
Vehicles parked outside the Aarey JVLR station in Jogeshwari East on Wednesday morning. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
Another issue at Aarey JVLR station is the lack of a proper parking lot at the metro station. Anubha Nadgouda, a regular Metro user, said, “A proper auto stand would help, but due to the traffic situation, no rickshaw driver wants to come here.”
Evening
5 pm to 6 pm
Many chose to avoid the morning rush and check out the Aqua Line on their way back home, resulting in crowding. Madhavi Gawde, a commuter who works near Vidhan Bhavan, said, “Using the Metro is cheaper than taking the bus, helping me save Rs 52 per month.”
Jui Khatu, Borivli resident
The pressure on the ticket scanning machine caused the machines to lag, and crowds formed around them. “It will take a week to gauge the load and other IT glitches. This happened on the Ghatkopar-Versova Line when it first started. But technical staff are available round the clock for support,” said a floor manager.
6 pm to 7 pm
The Cuffe Parade to Aarey JVLR route was jam-packed, as people were returning from offices in South Mumbai. At the CSMT Metro station, which is accessible from the railway terminus, several passengers alighted to catch trains. After this, as many as 10 people were standing in each compartment. This was not witnessed at the Dadar Metro station. “I am travelling to my friend’s place in Andheri. If I had been going home, I wouldn’t have taken the Metro but caught a train from Churchgate,” said a commuter.
At Bandra Kurla Complex station, a fair amount of office-goers returning home got in. At Marol Naka station, multiple commuters got off to catch a connecting service from Line 1. Since many knew that underground Metro stations are plagued by network issues, commuters carried cash, but ticket counters witnessed a shortage of smaller currency notes. “I couldn’t even get R30 change at the Churchgate station from where I had taken a train to Aarey JVLR. I had to go back onto the ground level and withdraw cash from a nearby ATM,” said a traveller
Glitches in new app
The Mumbai Metro One app, launched by the Prime Minister on Wednesday, also gave passengers headaches. “I could not find the new stations as the one seen in the app was Acharya Atre Chowk. This put me off initially, but later someone showed me the MMRCL app, which was working well,” a Shubham P, a commuter, said. The MMRDA and Metro 3 officials said that the data of the new stations along line would be integrated within 24 hours.
7 pm to 8 pm
While many grumbled about the total lack of cellular connectivity in the new underground Aqua Line (Line 3), the disconnect came as a blessing in disguise to all those bookworms who were losing their touch. Shantanu Singh, a lawyer who was travelling only until Girgaon, chose to start reading his newest book in the train itself. “Many of my friends suggested that I carry a book or newspaper PDFs. Since there was a place to sit and no reason to check the phone, I thought this was as good a time to start reading as any,” he said.
An avid reader, Priyanka, said that it was refreshing to see people away from their phones. “While I carry my books and papers everywhere I go, Metro may bring in an unexpected change. As soon as I board the local train, I see everyone glued to their phone. The Metro may change this,” she said.
