MUTP only a stop-gap arrangement

MUMBAI, November 23: A completely fresh look has to be taken at the traffic system in Mumbai to explore other avenues like a mass rapid tra...

MUMBAI, November 23: A completely fresh look has to be taken at the traffic system in Mumbai to explore other avenues like a mass rapid transit system (MRTS) or a metro rail, said Arun Mokashi, a transport expert from Tata Consultancy Services. Mokashi was speaking on “Mumbai’s Traffic Problem: Where Are We Heading Today?” organised by the Institute of Engineers last week.

Added Mokashi, “The days of optimisation of (existing) road and rail networks (projects under the Rs 6,000 crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) are over. Future requirements for mobilisation are to evolve a MRTS (like trans-harbour links and a metro railway system). MUTP is just a stop gap arrangement.”

He lamented that none of the projects marked out as a solution had taken off, including a suspension bridge over the Gateway of India to connect the islands, the two east and west island freeways, the Mumbai metro rail project first mooted by the railways in 1974, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, where a tunnel was to be constructed under the harbour to connect Colaba to Uran and for which the phase I study was completed.

Admitting that funds were a problem, he pointed out that lessons could be learnt from the successful implementation of the Konkan Railway project where bonds were issued to mop up funds from the public. Among the projects that needed priority, said Mokashi, was the metro railway system as proposed by former director of the KRC, E Sreedharan, where a metro rail corporation was to be set up to study the project.