PM puts Mumbai on the fast track

MUMBAI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the first leg of Mumbai’s metro rail project on Wednesday at Vikhroli, calling it “a landmark in the development of Mumbai”.

If not the first step towards making Mumbai another Shanghai, this at least puts Mumbai on the fast track to development. The first leg of Mumbai’s prestigious metro project will run from Versova to Ghatkopar and will cost Rs2356 crore.

From Vikhroli, the Prime Minister proceeded to a public meeting at Shanmukhananda Hall where he said, “Public transportation has to be the focus of our urban transport policies. Cities cannot continue to develop in the manner in which they have done in the past few years.

“In the absence of affordable public transport, private vehicles will dominate roads, leading to congestion, pollution, more accidents and, of course, more fuel consumption. We cannot force people to become dependent on costly private transportation, for this will not only increase energy consumption, but also exert an enormous burden on our exchequer.”

Given the wide variety of transport systems like freeways that will co-exist in the city, he suggested setting up a United Metropolitan Transport Authority. “The body would a seamless and efficient integration of all modes of transport.”

The Prime Minister also said the Centre is now focusing attention on urban areas, which were earlier neglected, and their renewal is a prime focus.

But experts have some doubts about the way the project has been planned. Construction is expected to start in October but traffic and other disruptions have not yet been discussed. A source in Reliance Energy, which leads a consortium in a joint venture with the MMRDA, said the letter awarding the bid was received only on Tuesday.