As Navi Mumbai gears up for the opening of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) with final checks, trial runs, and security drills underway, another reality sits quietly in its shadow, said our report. At Kharkopar railway station, the final stop for a few NMMT bus routes, which pass along the airport stretch, conductors are still waiting for something far more basic than an aerobridge: a simple shelter.

There is a contrasting scenario. Sleek airport buses glide past and Ulwe’s roads buzz with construction. At the same time, conductors at the last stop huddle under the narrow shade of a private hotel in Sector 16. This unofficial “rest area” doubles as their waiting point between trips, as it has for years together.