Integration plan on anvil, says MMRDA honcho

SVR Srinivas, additional commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), tells
DNA that an in-house plan for such integration is being worked out.

Has the authority or MMOPL (Mumbai Metro One Private Limited) specifically planned for commuter dispersals at key points such as Andheri station?
At the moment, an in-house station integration plan for Metro stations as well as local railway stations is being discussed. This is not only for Andheri station but all stations on the VAG Corridor. Once the plans are finalised, they will be shared with various agencies such as BEST, traffic police, BMC as well as MMOPL, which is to run the metro.

Is the present chaos caused by the construction, likely to reduce once the Metro begins operations?
That is the objective. Commencement of the VAG Corridor would mean saving time, fuel and money. Today, one requires at least an hour and a half to travel from Versova to Ghatkopar, a distance which would be reduced to a mere 25 minutes.
What type of planning is involved in commuter dispersal at such huge junctions?
The process takes into consideration various aspects, for example, BEST bus routes from Versova to Ghatkopar, travelling habits of commuters, parking for autorickshaws and taxis, bus depots, policing and management of traffic and facilities provided by the BMC.

A group of researchers have concluded that the Metro will add to the commuter chaos.
Commissioning of the Metro will surely provide more comfort to commuters, especially vis-a-vis ground-level hassles. Escalators and staircases (at Andheri and Ghatkopar) will enable Metro commuters to access the suburban rail network straight from the concourse through the FOBs. Significantly, an area of 500m-radius around Andheri and Ghatkopar will be earmarked as the “influence area” which will be backed up by further integration of services from the authority, MMOPL, BEST, BMC and the traffic police. The influence area will offer separate zones for parking, hawking, bus bays, auto-taxi pick-up points.