Over three months after a BEST bus rammed into a bus stop signage outside August Kranti Maidan at Grant Road, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to reinstall it. The bus stop, located on the traffic island opposite the maidan’s main gate, also houses the 19th-century statue of Nusserwanji Maneckji Petit.
Without the signage, residents of Gowalia Tank say there is no way for commuters to know that buses headed towards Mantralaya, Colaba, and Byculla halt here. “Only regulars who already know about this stop are able to board. New commuters have no clue,” said a local resident.
The original bus stop was removed in 2022 during BMC’s restoration of August Kranti Maidan, carried out to mark the 80th anniversary of the Quit India Movement. As part of the project, the civic body installed heritage fencing, created a 2-km-long ‘Freedom Trail’, and removed fencing around the Petit statue to improve visibility. A heritage-style bus stop signage was installed instead.
Commuters at the bus stop with no signage use heritage bollards to rest while waiting for the bus; BEST buses 132 and 77 halt here
A senior civic official said, “The fence and the bus stop were removed to free up the traffic island, and create a visually striking view of the heritage statue. Heritage bollards were also installed on the traffic island.” But in June, a BEST bus accident damaged the signage and two bollards on the island. Since then, the stop has been left without identification. “The project is still ongoing, with the second phase of the Freedom Trail pending. The bus stop signage will be fixed during that time,” the senior civic official added.
Commuters confused
At present, only seasoned commuters are seen boarding from the unmarked stop. Some use the heritage bollards to rest while waiting. “BEST buses 132 and 77 halt here. But without a board, no new commuter would know,” said Mahendra Patel, 56, who works at Breach Candy and occasionally uses the stop.
Residents have also questioned the logic of removing the bus stop in the first place. “Under the garb of a heritage restoration, BMC removed a perfectly good bus stop installation, making the bus stop invisible. The bus still stops here but commuters have no where to sit and are seen resting on the bollards awkwardly. But more importantly, how will people who are not old timers even know that there is a bus stop here?” said filmmaker and photographer Sooni Taraporewala.
