Every Friday, BKC's 2 Lakh Office-Goers Are Being Asked To Ditch Cars | What That Means For You
Every Friday, BKC's 2 Lakh Office-Goers Are Being Asked To Ditch Cars | What That Means For You Published By, Edited By Last Updated: June
Every Friday, BKC's 2 Lakh Office-Goers Are Being Asked To Ditch Cars | What That Means For You Published By, Edited By Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 09:21 IST MMRDA has directed its 2,000 employees to participate, and 90 BKC companies have given their backing — giving Friday's public transport experiment a strong institutional base. Starting this week, BKC is going car-free every Friday. (File photo) If you work in Bandra Kurla Complex and have spent yet another Friday crawling through gridlock, relief — or at least an experiment in relief — has arrived. Starting this week, BKC is going car-free every Friday. Well, not entirely. But nearly 2,00,000 professionals working in one of India’s most congested business districts are being strongly encouraged to take the train, metro or bus to work instead of driving or booking a cab. It is, officials say, a first-of-its-kind initiative for a corporate district anywhere in India. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is driving the push, working alongside BEST, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), Traffic Police, auto-rickshaw unions and WRI India. Around 90 companies and organisations operating in BKC have already given their in-principle support. MMRDA’s own nearly 2,000 employees and contractual staff have been directed to participate. Why Friday, Though? Not arbitrary.
According to MMRDA officials, Friday was deliberately picked because corporate schedules tend to be more flexible towards the week’s end — employees are generally less stressed about punctuality, meetings are fewer, and the overall pressure to be at a desk by 9 am sharp is lower. Mondays, by contrast, are non-starters: tighter deadlines, back-to-back meetings and the general anxiety of the week beginning make commuters far less willing to gamble on a crowded bus. Mode What’s Available in BKC 🚇 Metro Aqua Line (Metro 3) with direct BKC station 🚂 Train Bandra & Kurla stations with feeder services into BKC 🚌 BEST Bus 15 routes incl. 5–6 feeders from Bandra & Kurla; 100+ buses daily 🛺 Auto-rickshaw Unions being brought on board for last-mile connectivity 🚶 Walking Shaded corridors, better intersections and pedestrian upgrades planned BEST currently runs over 100 buses daily across BKC, with 25,000 to 30,000 commuters already using bus services every day, according to Hindustan Times. Five to six feeder routes connect Bandra and Kurla railway stations directly into the district. What’s The Catch — And What’s Being Done About It? Anyone who has used the Aqua Line into BKC knows the drill: the metro ride is smooth, but stepping out of the station and covering that last kilometre or two to your actual office block is where things fall apart.
As one executive at a top financial firm was quoted by HT, getting out of the metro is fast — but finding a shared auto or feeder bus to cover the remaining stretch inside BKC is “a daily nightmare." The numbers back this up. Mobility studies cited during stakeholder roundtables show that 52% of BKC’s workforce still relies on private vehicles, taxis and autos — despite Metro Line 3 being operational. Only 25% currently use public transport for their daily commute. Over half of BKC’s 2,00,000-strong workforce spends more than two hours commuting daily. Authorities are working on fixes Problem Fix Being Worked On Bus frequency too low (every 20–25 min) Dedicated U-turn and turning lanes at key junctions to improve BEST bus turnaround Dead ends after metro exit Corporate campuses being asked to open internal roads to pedestrians No shade, hostile footpaths Long-term: shaded green canopies, mist blowers, all-weather walking corridors Last-mile gap from Aqua Line stations Auto-rickshaw unions being brought into the plan for feeder coverage What’s In It For You? Possibly more than just a smoother commute. A survey of BKC commuters found that 82 per cent said they would switch to public transport if it became more reliable, convenient and better integrated. Companies are being nudged to sweeten the deal with reward programmes for regular public transport users, reimbursement of commute expenses and internal recognition initiatives.
The programme will run for at least three to four months, with authorities reviewing bottlenecks every week and introducing corrective measures. Whether BKC’s Friday experiment nudges Mumbai’s office crowd into a lasting habit shift — or quietly fades — will depend almost entirely on whether the last mile stops feeling like the hardest mile. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers,... Read More First Published: June 08, 2026, 09:21 IST News cities mumbai-news Every Friday, BKC's 2 Lakh Office-Goers Are Being Asked To Ditch Cars | What That Means For You Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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