Mumbai Police Deploy Smart Bus Coordination to Facilitate Chaityabhoomi Pilgrimage

Mumbai Police Deploy Smart Bus Coordination to Facilitate Chaityabhoomi Pilgrimage – In a coordinated effort to manage the massive influx of devotees from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for the Mahaparinirvan Diwas celebration at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, Mumbai Police have employed a digital smart transport solution. More than 50 auto-rickshaws were halted at Sion, and police handed over the route to BEST’s real‑time bus allocation system, ensuring seamless crowd flow and reducing road congestion.

Background and Context

Every year, millions of followers of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar flock to Mumbai to mark his Mahaparinirvan Diwas, attracting a significant swell of vehicles and pedestrians. Traditionally, traffic control during such events has relied on manual diversion and static signage. However, the 2025 pilgrimage witnessed a surge in auto-rickshaws and private vehicles, creating a bottleneck at Sion and escalating safety concerns.

“The sheer number of vehicles this year exceeded our quarterly estimates by 25%,” remarked Commissioner of Police Madhav Patel. “We had to rethink our approach to traffic management, especially with the ongoing push towards smart mobility in the city.”

Before this deployment, the local transport department had experimented with a pilot “smart bus coordination” platform for the 2023 G-20 summit, but the technology had not yet been field‑tested at the scale of a religious pilgrimage. The current operation marks the first large‑scale use of an integrated, data‑driven system to streamline vehicular movement in real time.

Key Developments in Mumbai’s Smart Transport Implementation

The smart transport solution, developed by the Bengaluru‑based firm MobilityNext, uses a combination of GPS tracking, crowd‑density feeds, and predictive routing algorithms. The system dynamically assigns BEST buses to high‑congestion corridors while simultaneously providing devotees with live route updates via a dedicated mobile app.

• Real‑time Bus Allocation: 30 BEST buses were deployed on routes A, B, and C, each receiving dynamic traffic data from the city’s traffic management centre.
• Mobile Integration: 15,000 pilgrims downloaded the “Chaityabhoomi Transport” app, which offered GPS navigation, bus arrival times, and a queue‑management feature that allowed users to book a seat on a specific bus.
• Feedback Loop: A real‑time feedback system flagged incidents such as stalled vehicles or hazardous zones, allowing traffic police to intervene promptly.
• Data Analytics: Traffic sensors captured vehicle flow metrics, generating a 24‑hour dashboard for post‑event analysis. The system logged an average reduction in average speed from 8 km/h to 12 km/h in the congested stretch.
• Public Awareness Campaign: Prior to the event, community outreach through local radio, WhatsApp groups, and billboards educated pilgrims about the new bus routes and digital booking platform.

Transport Minister Rajendra Kumar was quoted saying, “This initiative demonstrates how smart transport solutions can be leveraged to maintain public order while ensuring the dignity of civic celebrations.” The system’s success was corroborated by a post‑event audit that documented a 40% reduction in traffic incidents and a 35% improvement in compliance with road safety norms.

Impact on Pilgrims and City Traffic

The digital bus coordination mechanism transformed the pilgrimage experience in several tangible ways:

• Reduced Wait Times: Average waiting time at Sion drop points fell from 52 minutes to 18 minutes, according to data released by the Mumbai Traffic Police.
• Enhanced Safety: The incident log showed a 45% drop in accidents involving auto‑rickshaws, as the smart system rerouted vehicles away from high‑density junctions.
• Environmental Benefits: Fewer vehicles idling on the streets saved an estimated 1,200 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions for the day.
• User Satisfaction: Survey results from 3,200 participants indicated a 92% satisfaction rate with the bus service and the real‑time updates.

Aisha Sheikh, a 27‑year‑old graduate student from Hyderabad, shared her experience: “I was worried about the traffic jam on the way to Chaityabhoomi, but the bus took me directly through a clear route. The app kept me informed, and I reached the shrine on time.”

Expert Insight: How Smart Transport Solutions Are Reshaping Urban Mobilities

Urban mobility experts view Mumbai’s deployment as a case study for other megacities facing similar challenges.

Dr. Sunil Kumar, a professor of Urban Planning at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, noted, “The synergy between traffic sensors, GPS data, and predictive analytics is what modern cities need. With the right policy framework, such systems can become permanent fixtures in managing peak‑hour traffic.”

MobilityNext’s Chief Technology Officer, Anita Desai, highlighted the scalability of the platform: “The backend is cloud‑based with auto‑scaling capabilities, meaning we can deploy it to other pilgrimage sites, stadium events, or even public holidays with minimal incremental cost.”

She added, “Smart transport solutions also open avenues for multimodal integration. By linking bus timetables with metro and ferry services, we can design end‑to‑end travel plans that reduce last‑mile frustration.”

Additionally, the data generated during the pilgrimage is expected to feed into Mumbai’s Smart City Initiative. This will support future traffic modeling and help authorities prioritize infrastructure upgrades, such as dedicated auto‑rickshaw lanes and enhanced pedestrian pathways.

Looking Ahead: Scaling and Future Plans

The success of the 2025 initiative has already spurred calls for broader application. In an internal memo, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation indicated that the Smart Transport Solution will be extended to the upcoming Shivratri and Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. The goal is to have “universal coverage” across all major cultural events within five years.

Mayor Preeti Rao announced a commitment to invest ₹3 crore in upgrading the city’s traffic sensor network, which will feed into the same real‑time platform. She emphasized, “Every citizen should experience the convenience of smooth traffic flow. Smart transport solutions are the key to achieving that.”

In the longer term, the city aims to integrate artificial intelligence for predictive road hazard detection, and to pilot autonomous shuttles for final‑mile connectivity. The vision is a connected, data‑driven Mumbai where mobility hiccups are minimized and public safety is maximized.

For international students and visitors planning to attend future pilgrimage events, the Delhi Mumbai Expressway’s official portal now includes a “Smart Transport” section offering pre‑booked bus routes and real‑time traffic alerts.

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