The waterlogging in several areas on Tuesday led to traffic diversions across the city. But once the water subsided, traffic was much smoother than a usual weekday.
The rising water level badly affected bus traffic, with 179 BEST buses breaking down. A BEST spokesperson said despite a power failure at some depots, 2,950 out of 3203 buses in the fleet were operational. Buses had to be diverted at 18 locations, including Hindmata Cinema, SV Road near Bandra, RCF Colony in Chembur and Milan subway.
Several motorists decided not to venture out on the road given the severe flooding. “I travelled from Kharghar to Bandra Kurla Complex only after 1 p.m., after the rain had subsided. I hardly faced any congestion both ways,” Shantanu Ray, a Kharghar resident, said.
Prices of cab services such as Ola and Uber witnessed an extreme surge. Thane resident Rahul Kadam said Uber charged him over ₹800 to travel from Thane to Churchgate. Sources from a cab aggregator firm said demand for cabs peaks during rains, leading to surge pricing.