New rich eye SoBo homes; Bandra gets pre-paid taxi stand

Bureaucracy must have it limits. “More than two years after the landmark Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) was thrown open to the public, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is yet to procure security equipment for the 4.7 km road despite being advised by the Mumbai Police,” reports Indian Express. In related news, a woman managed to break the security of the sea link and got on to the bridge and attempted to commit suicide, reports Hindustan Times. Thankfully, security at railway stations has been upped in the lead up to Diwali. The next time you go to the station, expect to be frisked and for your luggage to be checked as well, says The Hindustan Times. [caption id=“attachment_115271” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“A woman managed to break the security of the sea link and got on to the bridge and attempted to commit suicide. Reuters”]  [/caption] More good news for train passengers. “The RTO will start a new prepaid taxi service at Bandra Terminus from Tuesday morning. This will be the third prepaid taxi stand in Mumbai, with two others — at Mumbai Central and Dadar—being inaugurated recently. The stand at Bandra will reduce cases of passengers being fleeced by errant drivers having tampered meters. It will offer prepaid cab service for a minimum fare of Rs 56 (for four km) and taxis will ply as far as Vasai, Kalyan and Alibaug. Commuters will be given computerised receipts and CCTV cameras will capture pictures of drivers and passengers to ensure safety,” says The Times of India. Will there be an autorickshaw strike from Novermber 9? Yes, and no. “While autos in Mumbai could be off the roads in protest from 9 November, a section of auto unions led by Thampy Kurian have decided to oppose any strike in the city. Kurian controls the second largest auto union, the Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union. “There have been reports of Sharad Rao’s union (the largest union) threatening to go on indefinite agitation from November 9. We will not let this happen. He cannot hold the city to ransom again,” Kurian told The Times of India. Owners of property in South Mumbai are cashing in, as the nouveau rich are willing to pay big bucks for a South Mumbai address, says the Hindustan Times. Are we going to see a new kind of resident dominating South Mumbai, one who has been in the city just for a few years? While on the topic of big bucks, “Lamborghini SpA sees opportunity in the streets of Mumbai, where three-wheeled rickshaws zigzag through bumper-to-bumper traffic on pot-hole-infested roads. Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s supercar maker plans to open its second dealership in India this year to meet increased demand for cars including the 36.9-million rupee ($750,600) Aventador, said Mohan Mariwala, managing director of Lamborghini Mumbai. Ferrari SpA, which opened its first dealership in the country in May, says it plans to open four more by the end of next year,” reports Bloomberg.