The bustling streets of Mumbai come alive with the rhythmic hum of buses, weaving through traffic like diligent ants. Among these, Bus Number C-72, also know as A-72 on the Chalo App, stands out as the best Bus the BEST corporation has to offer till date.

Today let us celebrate this unsung hero that connects neighborhoods, hearts, and stories.

It seems that these buses were given AC as a prefix. So this

should have been Bus No. AC-72 but seems like BEST started using  C-72 and the Chalo App started calling it A-72.

C-72 or A-72 starts from Bhayandar Railway Station (Virar End) on the east side and travels right past  Sion Station to Dharavi Depot (34 Kms) taking approximately 2hrs. When there is traffic add half an hour. When there is no traffic reduce half an hour.

(Once the Bhayandar West to Dhaisar to Andheri Metro starts in the 2nd half of 2025… C-72 Bus might see a HUGE fall in passengers. This is because most will prefer to travel by metro which will not have such long waiting periods).

It is a very comfortable option to travel and the maximum ticket price is Rs 25 (after 09 May 2025 price has increased).

C-72 is more than just a bus; it’s a timekeeper. Each morning, it arrives at the stop with unwavering precision, its doors opening to welcome passengers. Whether you’re rushing to work or leisurely exploring the city, C-72 ensures you reach your destination on time. Its reliability is a testament to the efficient Chalo App, which tracks buses in real-time, sparing us the agony of waiting.

C-72 when combined with the Chalo App becomes a priceless gift to Mumbai Commuters. Chalo app shows not only the nearest bus stop where C-72 (called A-72 on the Chalo App) will stop but it also shows how many minutes are remaining for the bus to arrive. In our experience it has been accurate 100% of the time.

The biggest wonder of Chalo App is the Chalo Payment Card.

The Chalo Card is a convenient touch-to-pay card designed to simplify bus travel in Mumbai.

The Chalo Card acts as an eWallet and allows you to store value and multi-trip tickets (such as monthly passes).

The best part is that a lots of people are very comfortable using the Chalo Card. It also helps otherwise people have to carry exact change for the ticket.

C-72 Bus has nice big windows which gives one a clear view of the surroundings. It would have been better if the window was shielded by mesh grill because any stone throw can seriously injure passengers.

The bus seems to have smoother shock absorbers an the ride is not to bumpy.

The Bus seems to have 3 Negatives:

1. Dabang Driving Habits (bad driving etiquette) : The drivers who are used to driving diesel buses have the habit to step on the brakes & accelerator too quickly and due to the torque of the bus the jerks are very strong and can throw a passenger forward or backward quickly thus seriously injure senior citizens or kids. There is this CONTINOUS start-stop-start-stop thing going on every 2-3 minutes. Drivers need to be rated on such bad driving habits using sudden acceleration & sudden braking. This can be easily monitored via GPS.

2. Quality of Seats: The quality of the seat is ABSOLUTELY 3rd Class and definitely from China. The dimensions of the seat built for CHINESE dimension… (especially the width) is fit only for school children. The sofa seats of the Old BEST Buses were way better and more sturdy. The single-bench-type seat of the original BEST bus was much better (even when torn) than this… they can use the Local Train type seats… or metro type side ways seating as experiments.

3. Transparent Plastic overhead Handles – These transparent-plastic grab-handles are of very poor design and designed and imported from China. The old BEST flexible Handles were way better than these plastic square handles. These also can hit you in your face and eyes (while sudden acceleration & braking) by the co-passenger accidently causing injury.

During the sweltering summer months C-72 is a very  big respite.

You reach the destination fresh and full of energy.

Another very good option is the AC-Local Train. But then that is another blog altogether.

C-72 Bus Stops (A-72 Bus Stops):

• Dharavi Depot
• Dharavi Koliwada
• Dharavi T Junction Tapase Chowk
• Kala Nagar (Bandra-E)
• Kherwadi Junction
• Cardinal Gracious School / Teacher’s Colony
• Vakola Police Station
• New Agripada (Get down here & take rickshaw to go to Mumbai University, Kalina Complex)
• Vile Parle Subway
• Domestic  Airport Junction
• Hanuman Road (Vile Parle-E)
• Bahar Cinema
• Gundavli / Lion’s Club (get down here to take Metro)
• Ismail Yusuf College
• Balasaheb Thakre Trauma Centre or SRP Camp
• Vanrai Colony / Mhada Colony
• Goregaon Check Naka
• Virwani Estate / Sarvodaya Nagar
• General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg Junction
• Kurar Village
• Pushpa Park
• Bandongri
• Mahindra Co.Gate (B.H.A.D.Colony)
• Dattani Park
• Magathane Telecome Exchange
• Magathane Depot
• National Park (Omkareshwar Mandir)
• Nency Colony
• Gartan Pada (Dahisar Metro Station
• Dahisar Check Naka (E)
• Golden Chemicals
• Transport Corporation
• Kashimira
• Green Park (Pleasant Park)
• Silver Park (Mira Road)
• Swatantra Veer Savarkar Chowk (Golden Nest)
• Bhayander  Phatak
• Ghoddev Naka
• Navghar Naka
• Bhayander Railway Station (E) (Virar End)

C-72 (A-72) Bus Timings: (between  5:25AM to 10PM)

C-72/ A-72 Route Map:

To go to Fort area you can catch Airconditioned A21 Bus from Sion. A21 Bus Route:

• Trombay
• Dhobi Ghat (Trombay)
• Cheeta Camp (Trombay)
• Narmadeshwar Mandir
• Mandala
• BARC Gate No.6
• Mankhurd Station Road (South)
• Anushakti Nagar Bus Station
• Raj Kapoor Chowk / Bhabha Hospital
• Telecom Factory
• Punjabwadi
• Deonar Depot
• Panjarapol
• Basant Cinema
• Vadavali Village
• Golf Club
• Gandhi Market Chembur (E)
• Chembur Colony Chembur (E)
• Navjeevan Society
• Basant Park
• Bhakti Bhavan
• Umarshi Bappa Chowk (Chembur)
• Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Udyan / Suman Nagar
• Priyadarshini
• Everard Nagar
• Highway Apartment
• Rani Laxmibai Chowk Sion
• Jain Society
• Lokmanya Tilak Hospital (Sion)
• Matunga Police Station
• Maheshwari Udyan (Kings Circle)
• Maheshwari Udyan
• Kapole Niwas / J.N. Verma Chowk
• Khodadad Circle (Dadar T.T.)
• Hindmata Cinema (Dadar)
• Madkebuwa Chowk (Parel)
• Sant Jagnade Chowk (Lalbaug)
• Jaihind Cinema
• Jijamata Udyan
• Robert Gomes Chowk
• Byculla Station (E)
• A.H Ansari Chowk (Nagpada)
• AH Ansari Chowk (New Nagpada)
• Dr.M.Iqbal Chowk (J.J.Hospital)
• Johar Chowk (Bhendi Bazar)
• Zakeria Masjid
• Chakala Market
• Mahatma Phule Market (Crawford Market)
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
• Khadi Bhandar
• Hutatma Chowk / Siddharth College
• Hutatma Chowk (Mumbai University
• Dr.Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Chowk (Museum)

Find list of all BEST AC buses: here