The rainfall of 26 July 2005, which deluged Mumbai city and parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (mmr), was unprecedented. In the city of Mumbai, water logging has been more or less an annual feature, but not flooding of this kind. It caused floods, the depth of which even reached near first floor levels at many places and almost submerged buses on roads.

Think rail, use buses. This appears to be the perfect solution for India's overcrowded cities seeking cheaper and more efficient public transport systems. What it entails is a bus system that operates like a suburban rail line service, by combining intelligent transport systems technology with dedicated transit ways which calls for specialised stations.