BMC moves ahead in bettering public transport system in Mumbai

The ambitious Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) got a push as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appointed a consultant to conduct drone as well as physical surveys of missing road connectivity, important junctions among other projects, to put the existing public transport system in order. The plan would be executed over a period of 20 years by multiple agencies at a cost of Rs 1.68 lakh crore.

While the BMC is banking upon the CMP to make commuting within the city smooth, experts believe that like other ambitious plans, this may also fall flat on its face as the common public has not been included. Similar plans were made in the past but, did not materialise in reality.

Transport expert Ashok Datar said that the whole CMP is an eyewash as nothing is going to take shape in reality. "Similar plans were made in the past and nothing concrete has happened yet," Datar said. He added that there was no discussion about the plan with the common public. "The BMC has planned so many things, from connecting missing links to constructing new flyovers but, it did not hold a single discussion with stakeholders like the common people," Datar said.

Dadar added that similar plans were also made in 2008 and 2015, but could not be executed. "Even, the present CMP did not talk about the Coastal Road and Metro projects," Datar added. He further said that it does not talk how and from where the money will be brought in for the project.

As per priority one of the CMP, the BMC has planned to connect eight missing roads and construct at least seven new flyovers. The survey will be completed in six weeks and the civic body is expected to spend around Rs 7,000 crore on priority one of the CMP.

These missing links are in areas like Mahim, Santacruz, Khar, Western Express Highway, Goregaon, Mulund Link Road, Vikhroli, Govandi West and Mulund. The length of the road will be from 400 metre to 1 kilometre.

The BMC's traffic department has identified a total of 41 missing road links that, if connected, can ease the pressure from existing roads and allow smooth flow of traffic. "In priority one, we will connect eight missing road links," an official from the BMC's traffic department said. He added, "The total length of missing links is around 220 km and these will be developed over a period of 15 to 16 years. These have been included in the city's development plan 2034."

However, the feasibility and utility of these road links will be checked through survey. The plan will also include an integrated fare structure and common ticketing system for the existing public transport to improve city's infrastructure.

The whole CMP will be executed over a period of 20 years at an expected cost of Rs 1.68 lakh crore. And, apart from the BMC, MMRDA, Railways and BEST will also bear the cost.