Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Manifesto to overhaul Mumbai’s transport system

Experts say turnstile entry to railway stations will reduce congestion, ticketless travel. Representation pic

City transport forums and activists have drawn up a transport manifesto for Mumbai in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Some key proposals include segregation of the Mumbai railway network, easing public transport, and having a unified transport body, apart from numerous other suggestions to improve BEST and railway operations.

"As I have proposed for a long time, there is a need to make transport open to stage carriage services to regulated private operators and entry to public buses only after scanning tickets to reduce ticketless passengers," said Jagdeep Desai, architect, academician, founder trustee and chairperson of the Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai.

Desai said Mumbai should have a single UAE-type road transport authority (RTA) that will have a common ticketing process for public taxis, buses, Metro rail and suburban train tickets for cashless travel.

"The suburban railways should look at a universal timetable, which is also called cyclical timetable for Mumbai which will include a complete overhaul, with a clockwise traffic pattern for all stations on the central, harbour and western routes," he said.

Desai added that the railways should also introduce Metro station-type turnstile entry to stations to reduce congestion. This will also cut down the number of unauthorised persons at stations, platforms and trains, and curb illegal hawkers and ticketless travellers.

He said the old-type single-point main entry to stations is also an obsolete idea with fifteen coach local trains and 24-car outstation trains. "It leads to extreme crowding. The entry-exit points should be spread out," he added.

Another think tank, the Mumbai Vikas Samiti has stressed the need of having a technocrat at the helm of BEST to understand affairs and a separate corporation for Mumbai railways, also having a prepaid auto-rickshaw service available outside stations.

"The BEST should be allowed to raise finances from the market through bonds, have dedicated bus lanes on arterial routes and a decision-making panel with external experts," A V Shenoy of Mumbai Vikas Samiti said.

"As far as the suburban railway is concerned, it should be a separate corporation like Konkan Railway with 50:50 participation from the Centre and state and no dictates from the Railway Board," Shenoy added.

Points put forth by ‘Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai'

. Make public transport open to stage carriage services by regulated private operators
. Adopt universal timetable/cyclical timetable for Mumbai suburban network
. Introduce Metro station-type turnstile entry at railway stations to reduce congestion/curb ticketless travel
. Do away with single-point main station entry system
. Give entry to public buses only after scanning ticket to reduce ticketless travel
. Introduce singular road transport authority for taxis, buses, Metro rail and suburban train tickets to enable cashless travel

Points put forth by ‘Mumbai Vikas Samiti'

. BEST general manager should be a technocrat with 7-year term
. BEST committee should be in line with BMC Act 1888 and have external experts
. BEST should be allowed to raise finances from market through bonds
. Dedicated public bus lanes on arterial routes
. Clear signage outside railway/Metro stations indicating bus routes available
. Separate corporation for Mumbai suburban railways with 50:50 participation from centre and state
. Managing director of Mumbai suburban railway corporation to be a technocrat with 7-year tenure
. Railways should spend more on increasing number of trains and routes rather than spending on superficial station improvement
. Have more high-speed trains (180 kmph) rather than bullet trains which need separate infrastructure
. Have smaller trains (8 coaches or less) with higher frequency and short routes to connect smaller cities
. Have pre-paid auto-rickshaws outside every station connecting to more frequented places