Some Mumbai Buses Are Now Moving Libraries, Turning Commutes Into Reading Time

Mumbai’s traffic can make even a short journey feel endless. But what if those minutes stuck on the road could become reading time instead? That’s the idea behind Turning Pages, a new initiative by Cityflo and Project Mumbai that is transforming select Cityflo buses into mini libraries on wheels.Launched this week, the initiative is part of Project Mumbai’s ‘Read Mumbai’ movement. Instead of reaching for their phones during their daily commute, passengers can now pick up a book, settle into their seats and let the pages do the travelling. It’s essentially a neighbourhood library—except this one moves through Mumbai’s streets.A Bookshelf on the BusThe concept is refreshingly simple. According to TimeOutMumbai, participating Cityflo buses feature a compact bookshelf stocked with books donated by the Project Mumbai community. The collection includes fiction, biographies, contemporary Indian writing, business and self-development titles.Passengers can browse the selection, pick a book and read during their journey. They can also recommend books to fellow commuters and contribute their own pre-loved books to help the collection grow. The result is more than just a bookshelf. It creates a small space for discovery in the middle of a busy commute.Making Every Journey CountFor Cityflo, Turning Pages is an attempt to make daily travel more meaningful. Since 2015, the app-based bus service has operated more than 1,200 buses and clocked around 18 million rides annually across cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad.For thousands of commuters, hours spent travelling each week often mean endless scrolling, notifications and screen time. Turning Pages offers another possibility: using that time to read, learn, reflect or simply escape into a good story.And there’s something wonderfully old-school about it—a book waiting for you on your daily bus.Could This Be the Future of Reading?For now, Turning Pages is available only on select Cityflo buses, with plans to expand depending on the response from commuters. The initiative is also part of a growing trend of bringing books into unexpected public spaces. From library cafés to airport book exchanges, reading is increasingly finding a place beyond traditional libraries.Now, Mumbai’s buses have joined the movement. Because sometimes, the best way to make a long journey shorter isn’t to scroll faster—it’s to turn a page.