Integrated ticketing between the monorail and other mass transit systems in Mumbai for hassle free rides for commuters
Mass rapid transits are high capacity transport systems found in urban areas and play an important role in urban development. In India, there are multiple mass transport systems implemented including suburban railways, metro rail, light rail, monorail and bus rapid transit systems. Except for the monorail, other mass transit systems are successfully operating in Indian cities without major issues.
Currently, monorail systems are operational only in Mumbai. In Mumbai, the monorail system is operated under the jurisdiction of Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), who proposed the system in 2005 as an alternative to bus services operating in narrow congested areas at slow speeds, offering limited benefits to commuters and adding to traffic congestion.
Notification
In August 2008, the Maharashtra government cleared the notification for construction of first monorail line in Mumbai. The line would connect Jacob Circle, Wadala and Chembur, while also providing a feeder service to existing suburban railway system.
With the foundation stone laid in February 2009, MMRDA commissioned the construction of the first 19.5 km stretch over two phases. The contract for construction and operation of the monorail system till 2029 was awarded to a private consortia for Rs 2,460 crore. The original deadline for the project was May 2011.
However, the construction of the line has faced significant challenges leading to delays. Key challenges included difficulty in timely securing of right of way, stakeholder opposition towards tree cutting, delay in removal of encroachments, utility diversion issues, multiple clearances required from various agencies and difficulty in timely placement of guideway beams.
The construction of the first phase from Chembur to Wadala was completed in January 2014 and the second phase till Jacob Circle was completed in early 2018. However, currently, only the first phase is operational due to various technical and financial issues faced by the project.
Technical issues
The Mumbai Monorail project has been facing multiple technical and financial issues since inception (lesser rakes deployed than envisaged, breakdowns, spare parts unavailability, fire mishap etc.). While large projects typically face hiccups during their initial operations, timely redressal is crucial to ensure long term user acceptability.
MMRDA is currently undertaking measures to address the twin challenges of lower than expected ridership (< 20,000 per day till date v/s expected daily ridership of > 200,000) and financial performance (monorail project is losing Rs 3 lakh/day) to ensure the long term sustainability of the project.
Current status
In early 2018, MMRDA decided to award the operations and maintenance of the line to another player through an open tender. The sanctioned amount was Rs 1,000 crore to be paid to the successful bidder for running the network. With the lowest quote being Rs 2,000 crore (twice the sanctioned amount), MMRDA is likely to scrap the tender.
As an alternative, MMRDA has approached Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) to operate and maintain the monorail line.
Measures needed
Currently, the monorail system has limited coverage and faces significant challenges. The below measures may be considered to enhance system ridership and profitability
1 Operationalising the second line (Wadala to Jacob Circle) attracts more users by reducing their travel time
2 Seamless connectivity between monorail stations and suburban railway system and Ghatkopar metro stations with their respective suburban railway stations) through skywalks and pedestrian bridges
3 Integrated ticketing between the monorail and other mass transit systems in Mumbai for hassle free rides for commuters
4 Last mile connectivity between the monorail stations and key residential and commercial locations.
The writer is partner and head – transport, leisure and sports, KPMG in India
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