Mumbai: For thousands of daily commuters travelling through Sion, Friday marked the end of a long and often frustrating journey. With the reopening of the overbridge near Rani Laxmibai Chowk after more than a year of repair work, BEST buses have finally resumed their original routes, restoring a key transport link between Sion East and West.
Acting on directions from the traffic police, BEST announced that several bus services operating through the corridor have returned to their regular alignments. The move has been welcomed by commuters who endured lengthy diversions, traffic congestion and increased travel times since the bridge was shut for repairs on June 30, 2024.
“The long-term closure forced major bus diversions through secondary corridors, significantly impacting daily travel times and creating major traffic bottlenecks across
Dharavi, Kalanagar and LBS Marg,” said commuter Vijay Naidu. For many passengers, the diversions meant not only longer journeys but also multiple bus changes to reach destinations on the opposite side of Sion.
At bus stops near Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Everard Nagar and Tilak Hospital on Friday, commuters were seen boarding buses that had resumed normal operations. Among the routes restored to their original itineraries are A-7, 11 Ltd., A-22, 29 Ltd., 181, 255 Ltd., C-305, A-312, 341, 348 Ltd., A-357, A-376, 411 and C-505.
Another commuter, Atul Mhatre, said the reopening has significantly reduced travel time. “With buses being diverted away from the Sion Hospital area and Matunga Labour Camp, reaching our destination took much longer.
Now we save at least half an hour while travelling from Sion East to West,” he said.
Some passengers from Pratiksha Nagar, however, expressed confusion over the absence of a bus service to Kumbharwada on Friday. BEST officials were unavailable for clarification on the route.
Officials have advised commuters to check local bus stop notices and updated schedules as normal operations gradually stabilise across the network.
