India, Oct. 10 -- For someone who has unwavering faith in Mumbai's suburban locals, I took a leap of faith on Thursday and skipped the locals completely to commute from Borivali to south Mumbai via the metro, including the newly inaugurated stretch of the aqua line. I started my journey from Poisar station on the Metro 7 Red line. I downloaded the 'Mumbai One' app while on the way to the station and began exploring the app. The registration process was user friendly and there were six broad options on the homepage - for purchasing a ticket, planning a journey, nearby stations, nearby tourist attractions, city guide and smart card. A map on the home page displays the various metro and suburban rail corridors while the ticket booking history is accessible at the bottom. I found the 'Plan your journey' option cumbersome to use. Upon entering Poisar as the originating point and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) as the destination, I was shown a range of options. Most involved travel by more than one mode of transport while I wanted to travel only via the metro. But I was unable to find the option to select a preferred mode of transport. Left without a choice, I used the app to book a ticket for the first leg of my journey, from Poisar to Gundavali. Buying a ticket was quite straightforward, though it involved six steps. I paid Rs.20 for the ticket via the BHIM app, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, and instantly received Rs.4 as cashback - in line with the MMRDA's policy of giving a 20% cashback for BHIM app users on tickets worth Rs.20 or more, six times a month till December 31. I boarded the metro at Poisar at 11.06am which reached Gundavali at 11.26am. The journey was comfortable and I managed a seat despite the train being crowded. From Gundavali, I walked around 50-meters or so to the WEH station on metro line 1. While on the way, I once again used the Mumbai One app to book a Rs.20 ticket till Marol Naka, and got Rs.4 as cashback. I boarded the train at 11.36am and reached Marol at 11.41am. This time, I could not find a seat - line 1 has the highest daily metro ridership at 500,000 - and spent the time waiting by the door. I was excited to enter the Marol Naka underground metro station, which is among the busiest on the aqua line. But my efforts to book a ticket for the last leg of the journey using the Mumbai One app proved futile as stations south of Acharya Atre Chowk did not show up on the app. When I checked at the ticket counter, I was told there was a technical error and the app was being updated. So I brought out the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) that I had procured some years ago, and tapped it on the sensor to make my way into the platform where the indicators displayed Cuffe Parade as the destination. The platform was filled with enthusiastic commuters and the train, when it arrived at 11.55am, was more crowded than usual. As the train crossed Acharya Atre Chowk at 12.23pm, passengers jostled to see where it was headed even as it swerved while passing underneath the old commercial market areas of Kalbadevi and Girgaum. Those talking or watching something on their phones complained about lack of network as their phones went blank. In between, when the train halted at stations, there was a rush to capture group selfies, photos and videos. I alighted from the train at CSMT at 12.37pm, Cuffe Parade being another 10 minutes ahead. Had I travelled from Borivali to Churchgate by local train, the journey would have lasted an hour and five minutes or so, while the metro journey, with two interchanges, lasted an hour and a half - given the additional comfort, I did not mind spending a few extra minutes....