BEST deal

At R C Church they took vantage seats on the upper deck of the double-decker as Mr Pherwani warned children against leaning out the windows and fixed the cap on the youngest’s head. “This is Mumbai Darshan for Rs 7. On weekends this ride will cost you Rs 50. It’s not money, though. We can’t wait till Saturday…we have to return to Bhuj,” Mr Pherwani told this reporter.

On weekends this bus, which has a roofless upper deck and cushioned push-back seats, is run by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). On Saturdays and Sundays the route is different – it covers Prince of Wales museum, Nariman Point, Marine Drive, Churchgate and Victoria Terminus. A seat on the lower decks on weekends costs Rs 20.

But Pherwanis have been around – they have seen Prince of Wales museum and Nariman Point. “Kids liked the idea of riding in an open-air bus. See, they are so excited. Also, the route is almost the same (as on the weekends). It will take us through Churchgate, Marine Drive, Wilson college to Tardeo. The 10-km ride is like a mini-Mumbai darshan…it’s exhilarating,” said Pherwani’s host, who also turned into a guide through the ride.

And it’s not only tourists who are excited by this new brightly colored double decker on route no 123.

Rakesh Krishna, a salesman gladly took a widow seat on the upper deck. “I have a call to make in Tardeo. Open-air bus is a nice way to get there, though I am sure I won’t take a seat on the upper deck in summers,” he said.

The upper deck of `Nilambri’ (that’s what its called on weekends when it is run by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is quite popular on weekdays. In fact, the conductor on the lower deck did not punch a single ticket through the ride. Perhaps serious commuters find the blue colour of this 123 strange and don’t board it.

Additional General Manager of the BEST, M A Shanbhag, told Express Newsline: “We are operating two tourists buses `Nilambari’ and `Vibhavari’ on route 123 as regular local buses on weekdays. "These buses used to lie idle five days a week only adding to the maintenance costs. We have decided to put them to some productive use.”

On Saturday, the route indicator (a board with 123 written on it in black) will be removed and `Nilambri’ will resume its duty with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.