Heavy rains coupled with administrative mismanagement triggered chaos at the Swargate Bus Stand on Monday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and frustrated. The unexpected downpour, which began early in the morning, caused waterlogging in key areas of the bus terminal, compounding operational challenges already strained by a lack of coordination among officials.

The disruption led to the merging of buses scheduled at different times, resulting in overcrowding and confusion among commuters. Several passengers reported delays ranging from one to three hours, while others claimed they had to cancel or reschedule their travel plans altogether. "We had reserved three seats in the Swargate-Borivali Shivneri bus. While our seat numbers were 17,18 and 19, we were forced to sit on 35,37,40. For me, it's still okay. But my parents are old. We had only two options - either to assume these seats or wait and hope that the next bus comes with better seat options. But considering that already buses were already running late, we chose to go ahead with this uncomfortable journey. What's the point of reserving the seats, if ultimately we have to sit randomly," questioned Mihir Lad, who regularly travels from Pune to Mumbai.