Mumbai, May 19 -- Two popular bus routes connecting the Gateway of India to south Mumbai's major railway hubs will remain unchanged, after the BEST committee on Monday shelved a proposal by Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar in March to curtail them. The routes-A-112 (Churchgate to Gateway of India) and A-116 (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Gateway of India)-are important in terms of passenger convenience and revenue generation for the transport undertaking, officials said. As HT had reported in March, Narwekar had urged BEST to terminate both routes at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk, around 500 metres from the Gateway of India, in a bid to reduce vehicular movement and ease congestion near the heritage monument and tourist attraction. The proposal came up for discussion before the 16-member BEST Committee on Monday. Officials said this was unusual, as decisions related to route rationalisation are typically handled by the administration and rarely brought before the committee, which comprises elected representatives from different political parties. Following the meeting, BEST Committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao said she would "refer back" the proposal to the administration. Officials said this effectively puts the proposal on the back burner. "The bus routes are important in terms of passenger convenience as well as revenue generation," said a BEST official, requesting anonymity. "Since the Gateway of India is very important in terms of tourism, if direct bus service is available at this place, the passengers get easy last-mile connectivity." According to an internal BEST note, routes A-112 and A-116 provide last-mile connectivity for tourists and residents travelling by sea from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, Mandwa, Uran, and Alibaug. Around 24,000 passengers use 436 bus services daily on weekdays between Churchgate, CSMT and the Gateway, generating an average revenue of Rs.1.17 lakh. On Sundays and holidays, ridership rises to about 28,000 passengers across 598 services, with revenue touching Rs.1.98 lakh. In fact, BEST also runs AC double-decker buses on these routes on weekends. Opposition members in the committee criticised the proposal, alleging that curtailing the routes would further hurt the cash-strapped undertaking. "It seems as if the proposal was meant to benefit the share-taxi routes there, which would create a monopoly. BEST should clearly cancel this proposal, or else we will launch a protest on the streets," said Nitin Nandgaonkar, a BEST Committee member from the Shiv Sena (UBT). Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on the committee said that the administration can decide on route rationalisation and there is no need to approach the committee....