Mumbai Transportation Tips by keeweechic

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: Taxi’s are pretty cheap and plentiful. You will mostly see the old Premier Padmini’s (Fiat) in the black and yellow. They are old and not air-conditioning but not a bad ride. They have meters and can be hailed in the street within the city. Just make sure you can see the meter. Most seem to be honest but if you are arriving from the airport or train station, be sure to get a pre-paid taxi where the fare is agreed and paid at the start of the journey.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: The Cool Cabs are blue with a grey roof. They have electronic meters and you pay the amount shown. These taxis are usually 40% higher than the little black and yellow ones but are also air-conditioned and more comfortable. They also have a better track record for less accidents.

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Phone: 91 22 2490 5151

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: The Auto Rickshaws (elsewhere known as Tuk Tuks or Bajaj’s) are the main form of transport in the suburbs. These are the little three-wheeled vehicles which will comfortably take 2-3 passengers but can often seen to be cramming in a lot more. A lot of the Auto Rickshaws use CNG and like the taxi’s, they have a meter. While a little hair-raising at times, they are a cheap mode of transport to get around in but not if you have a bad back or the like, their suspensions are dreadful.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: The BEST (Bombay Electric Supply & Transport) buses run all over the city and are numerous. There are the single buses and the red double decker variety. Bus routes are written in Hindi on the front and side of the bus however English is often given on signs at bus stops. I read warnings to be careful of pickpockets on these buses. BEST buses are the largest municipalized transport in India.

There are now new city buses which are air-conditioned and the doors are controlled by the driver.

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'Mode': TO
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: There is a regular shipping service between Mumbai, Goa and Ratnagiri. This is primarily by catamaran but the service is suspended during the monsoon season. The duration of the voyage takes around 8 hours. The Princess Cruises also call at Mumbai port.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bicycle
Getting TO/AROUND: Bicycle Rickshaws have been popular from the early part of last century but are not so common in the city areas these days having been taken over by the auto rickshaw. You will however see not the variety that transports passengers but these varieties which really just gets the owner around. The pedal is operated higher up by hand.

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'Mode': TO
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: Mumbai is connected by good connecting roads with all major tourist centres. It is an important junction for several highways (3,4,6,8,9 and 17) which link to all parts of the country.

Delhi – 1,460km
Bangalore – 998km
Chennai – 1,329km
Calcutta – 2,236km
Hyderabad -711km

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'Mode': TO
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Ferries leave from Apollo Bunder at the Gateway of India for Elephanta Island. You may find yourself crossing over one or two other boats just to get to your ferry moored on the outside of the others. The ride takes around 1 hour each way. You can sit on the lower covered deck or upstairs – which in Summer may prove to be way too hot. Try and pick a calm day as even then you will get a little of a bumpy ride. There is a sign on the boat which says no photography. No one took any notice of this and in fact I believe it more pertains to the taking of photos of the naval base there as my guide told me to make sure I did not take photos of that area as we passed by.

Boats leave from Apollo Bunder around every half-hour from 9 am to 2 pm and between 1 pm and 5 pm from Elephanta Island. You can buy tickets at the booths near the Gateway or you can book a tour with the MTDC. The boat services are suspended during the monsoon season.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: I’m not sure I can really call this a train, its more like a children’s amusement however I took it because it was organised for me and pretty much everyone else did too just for the novelty of it. It is not like the walk of the pier is any great length, in fact I walked it on the return as waiting for the train to come back would have taken too long. You pile into this little contraption which seats 2 comfortably each side of the wagons and chug at 2kms p/h at best. We had a little breakdown enroute and I was prepared to get out and walk but it kicked into life again and we finished the last few metres in style.

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'Mode': TO,AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Mumbai is well connected to all parts of India with their rail service. The city is the headquarters of the Central and Western Railways and is the final destination for a number of long distance trains. The Western Railways departs Churchgate and runs to the western region of the city while the Central Railway departs from Mumbai CST and covers most of the northeast parts of the city and the central area. The harbour line runs for 54kms along the south-eastern section of the city.

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