Pune: Waterlogging and jams threw Pune-Mumbai transport services into disarray on rainy Saturday, with MSRTC buses arriving from Mumbai, Thane and Borivali reaching Pune five to six hours behind schedule, triggering a ripple effect that disrupted hundreds of subsequent trips, though services continued without cancellations.Arun Siya, divisional controller of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s Pune division, said the relentless rainfall had severely impacted operations. “The buses are coming five to six hours late, causing massive trip disruptions. Services have not been cancelled, but the delays are affecting subsequent trips,” he said.The Pune-Mumbai corridor, one of the state’s busiest intercity routes, sees nearly 800 MSRTC services every day, including premium air-conditioned e-Shivneri buses, ferrying an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 passengers. However, the grim weather kept many travellers indoors, with passenger traffic plunging by nearly 60% on Saturday.Private cab operators also reported a sharp fall in demand. One cabby said he completed only a single trip to Navi Mumbai on Saturday, compared with four to five trips on a typical day.
