MMRDA plans door-to-door survey to improve commute for Mumbaiites

To update its comprehensive transportation study, the MMRDA has appointed consultants to interview 5,000 families

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) will soon arrive at your doorstep to know your commute patterns as it aims to improve the transport system.

HT File

To update its comprehensive transportation study (CTS), the MMRDA has appointed consultants LEA Associates South Asia Pvt Ltd and Krish Enterprises to interview 5,000 families living in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

People will be asked about their socio-economic condition, commute patterns, household size, location of work or study and daily trips.

A senior official from MMRDA said, “The success of the study depends on the qualitative of the data. Therefore, we appeal to citizens to co-operate with the survey.”

The CTS was last undertaken between 2005 and 2008. The MMRDA needs to update the study every 10 years to initiate infrastructure projects as per the growing needs of the MMR. Satellite cities such as Navi Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Vasai and Bhiwandi are likely to be the focus of the study this time with a growing population migrating there.

The 2005-2008 CTS had suggested major projects such as the passenger water transport system, the Mumbai Trans Harbour link (MTHL) from Sewri to Nhava-Sheva, southward connectivity up to Colaba using Bandra-Worli Sea link, the eastern freeway, improvement to Thane-Ghodbunder Road, and capacity addition to Metro, suburban railways system and highways in a phase-wise manner.

It had proposed to build 435 km of Metro network, 1,740 km of highway network and 248 km of the suburban railway by 2031 in a planned and phased manner.

However, various agencies are lagging behind in implementing these suggestions.

The water transport system, MTHL and extension of the sea link are yet to take off.

The current CTS will also focus on short, medium and long-term goals.