Gas supply disruption affects Mumbai's public transport

Vehicular traffic was affected in Mumbai today following disruption in supply of natural gas. Many private taxis and three-wheelers, the primary mode of local transport after trains and buses in the city, were off the roads.

According to public utility Mahanagar Gas, the gas pipeline was damaged yesterday and is being repaired with the supply being restored to 60 per cent of the total capacity.
According to unions, a majority of nearly 42,000 taxis and more than 100,000 three-wheelers were running out of gas in the city.

Taxicabs ply in the busy main business districts of the city, while three-wheeler auto-rickshaws cater to passengers in the suburbs.

The state-run utility said it hoped to finish the restoration work for the pipeline and expects total supply to resume within hours.

A L Quadros general secretary of  Mumbai Taximen's Union, told Reuters that almost 95 per cent of the taxis were off the roads and only 5 per cent that have gas left in their tanks were able to ply.

Reports quoted to BEST spokesman N A Walavalkar as saying that BEST, which runs 60 per cent of its 4,700 buses on natural gas, had some buffer stock of gas but might run into difficulties if the restoration is not complete by evening.