New Navi Mumbai airport: Flyers prefer taxis to buses, autos; seek clarity on schedule

NAVI MUMBAI: On the first day of operations at the Navi Mumbai airport, most flyers chose to hire taxis rather than use Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) bus services starting from five suburban railway stations, leaving the air-conditioned buses largely empty. Some travellers told TOI that clarity on bus schedule and signages on roads leading to the airport could encourage use of public transport.

NMMT launched services on five dedicated routes linking Targhar station, Belapur station, Nerul station, Kharkopar and Khandeshwar stations to the airport, with buses scheduled every 20 minutes. Fares range from Rs 15 to Rs 25. Despite the reliable and affordable service, few passengers used them. The convenience offered by taxis seemed to outweigh the cost.


The autorickshaw stand was deserted too. Ahmedabad resident Manoj Patel waited outside the airport for almost 30 minutes for an auto as he arrived at Ulwe to meet his son. "There was a mobile network issue as well," said Patel. Autos charged Rs 50 for the short ride to the nearest Targhar station, but few passengers opted for it.

An NMMT spokesman said the operator would review ridership patterns and adjust schedules if required. Taxi drivers expressed satisfaction with the steady flow of customers, but pointed to potential regulatory oversight. Meanwhile, passengers found approach roads bumpy as JCBs have been deployed to repair them and for road widening work. They also reportedly got confused between the passenger and cargo terminals.

Some passengers said road signages were unclear or missing at junctions, and drove to the cargo terminal by mistake and later returned to the departures terminal.

A flyer, C Valsan, who boarded the evening flight for Kochi, said, "The cab driver was unsure about the passenger terminal and we went to the cargo terminal and returned to the departure area, which consumed extra time and money as well."

Those who travelled from Mumbai areas such as Matunga and Dadar said the distance to the airport is 35km, which was much more than to Mumbai airport. "The airport is far from Matunga, besides signage is not visible clearly on the Atal Setu while entering Navi Mumbai," said Matunga resident Dinesh Gandhi.

Taxi and auto stands were not yet fully ready, so arriving passengers had to rely on aggregator cabs, which charged Rs 700 for trips to Nerul and Vashi, 7-8km away.

Many curious visitors were at the airport too, but it was difficult to get past security, which insisted on seeing air tickets.

"We wanted to enquire about the flight schedule for my upcoming travels, but we were asked by the security personnel to produce an air ticket for entry," said Panvel resident Kishore Raut.

Shivdasan Iyer, who along with his family travelled all the way from Vapi to board a flight to Kochi, said he was excited to experience the new airport and an hour-long journey from Borivli station to the airport. Navika Nandkumar Thakur (11) of Ulwe said, "It's fun to travel to Goa from the airport that is closer to my residence with family and friends. We were desperately waiting for this day," said Navika.



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