Overview

• MMRCL reported 159,105 passengers on Friday up to 9 pm, up from 156,456 on Thursday, with morning and evening peaks arriving earlier than on opening day.
• BEST’s daily average fell to just over 2.4 million riders in the past two days from over 2.5 million last month, and depot data show Colaba ridership dropping by 3,384 between October 8 and 9.
• Kaali-peeli taxi unions say passenger numbers are down by 20%–30% on south Mumbai share routes and are seeking designated stands outside new stations.
• To ease queues and connectivity gaps, MMRCL enabled WhatsApp QR ticketing at station entrances, activated WiFi for digital purchases, updated the Mumbai One app, and said Vi and BSNL service should extend to the southern stretch within a fortnight, with Airtel and Jio timelines unclear.
• Mumbai’s first fully underground metro now links Aarey to Cuffe Parade across 27 stations, cuts the airport–Cuffe Parade trip to about 45 minutes, and was part-financed by JICA ODA loans of JPY 354,132 million out of a JPY 680,692 million project cost.