Aesthetically pleasing bus stop at Worli
The city is witnessing changes at the macro level in the form of the coastal road, metro lines, flyovers and what not. But what is also needed is changes at the micro level. In this context, the new BEST stop near the Nehru Planetarium is a most welcome addition. This aesthetically-designed stop has a functioning seating arrangement and also mobile phone charging ports, post box, display of emergency telephone numbers, QR code, etc. The best thing here is a mini library to encourage the reading habit. Don’t know whose idea it is, but certainly it is most welcome. Wish we had more bus stops all over Mumbai. Aaditya Thackeray had introduced gyms next to bus stops at Marine Drive and a few other places. A good idea, but it was not replicated. Someone had also placed potted plants on the roof of bus stops, but as usual there was no maintenance. Why not have solar panels above all bus stops and connect the power generated to the BEST grid?
On track with locals
It’s nice to know that aamchi Mumbai ranks 19th in the world in terms of public transport. The survey was conducted by Time Out and contains a list of 19 cities, including Prague, Copenhagen and Paris. And bulk of the credit goes to the railways. A whopping 70 million commute in the local trains. Occasional glitches apart, both Central and Western Railways are truly doing a commendable job. The entire metropolis is dependent on the locals. Even those with cars do not dare take out their vehicles because of traffic jams and utter lack of parking space. A wag joked the other day that it is easier to find God in Mumbai than parking space. The public parking towers built by builders in exchange for additional floor space index are badly maintained. The pay and park guys charge you a bomb. During off peak period it’s a pleasure commuting on the local trains, specially if you get a ‘window seat’. Most commuters put on their ear pods and watch movies on their mobiles, occasionally laughing at a joke.
RALLY FOR REDEVELOPMENT
Residents of Juhu Circle living close to the military wireless transmission station held a rally on Sunday seeking lifting of restrictions on redevelopment of buildings | Vijay Gohil/FPJ
Happy New Year!
The Mallu new year, Vishu, starts on April 15 along with that of other communities. The highlights are the elaborate sadhyas that Keralites have at home. These days with women also going out to work, it is quite a chore preparing sadhya. So many contact Kerala restaurants or cloud kitchens to have sadhya items delivered home. The menu includes mambazha pachadi, koottukari, aviyal, beans poriyal, inji puli, rice, sambar, rasam, pappadoms and chakka pradhaman or paalpayasam. Cloud kitchens are becoming extremely popular. You can even customise your order. Many entrepreneurs have started these kitchens catering to Gujjus, South Indians, Bongs, etc. The arrival of delivery apps like Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo have made it easy for these guys to deliver their stuff hot and fresh to their hungry customers. The only problem is the dozens of plastic containers they use to pack their goodies. The pollution they cause is tremendous.
A tasty new restaurantat Fort
At a time when many restaurants in Fort are shutting down because of lack of business caused by the relocation of offices to Andheri, etc, it is refreshing to note that a Bengaluru group has opened a swank south Indian vegetarian joint in the area. Called Anna Idli, it is located bang opposite St Thomas’ cathedral near Bombay House. It’s air-conditioned and the decor is welcoming with 30 tables. Apart from the usual idli-dosa routine, it has a variety of interesting items on its menu. There is strawberry sheera, thakkali masala dosa, Davengere benne dosa, khara pongal, chitranna, puliyogare, etc. The service is efficient and the prices are reasonable. Two girls dressed in Kerala off-white sarees welcome you and help you get a seat, which is difficult during lunch time. Opened on January 26, the place is already a hit with lawyers and office-goers looking for a change from Poornima and Milan Cafe. The music, however, lacks class. Also, it is not clear why the waiters are wearing black dhotis. The best part is that the place is open all days of the week from 7am to 11pm.
Tailpiece:
Kaali-peeli cabbies are notorious for giving excuses for not taking you to your destination. But this driver takes the cake. When asked to take this writer from CST to Nariman Point he said: “Aap doosra taxi pakad lo... mera mood nahi!
(Compiled by S Balakrishnan)
