Mobile 4 Mumbai: Making the BEST commute less traumatic

Mumbai has over 42 lakh commuters using BEST buses daily, according to Mobile 4 Mumbai mobile software makers whose search application has been downloaded by over a 100,000 people.

Before mobile technology the Rs 15 booklet guide and a little asking around could usually get you an answer to which bus route will take you where you need to go -- though now an application on your mobile phone makes that process a lot easier, not to mention faster.

Mobile 4 Mumbai, or m4mum as they like to be called, is a Mumbai-based start-up, headed by Raxit Sheth providing BEST bus maps, routes and prices for Mumbai.

They then expanded to applications for taxi and autorickshaw fares, and then to different cities with bus maps and auto rates for Bangalore and Pune.

The way it works is pretty simple.

Most people have mobile phones but not necessarily smartphones, therefore m4mum applications are all free and Java based (the iPhone doesn’t support Java but most other phones do), and can then be used without GPRS or Wifi.

Most users in the city, who don’t have GPRS on their phones download the application from their personal computers and transfer the application via Bluetooth to their phones. For those that do have GPRS on their phones, the application can be downloaded via the m4mum website or even from the Airtel and Samsung app stores.

Once downloaded, all you have to do is put in your start location and your destination, and the app pulls up all your potential routes and fares.

That way you don't spend on slow GPRS or SMS, or struggle with online maps while your bus hurtles along, and names of small bus stops, not available even on the BEST official website, can be located.

Anything that makes Mumbai's grueling commute easier. Anything.