Mumbai transport year-ender: Hopes for better daily commute for railway and bus commuters by end of 2019

New suburban rail terminus, more AC trains, buses and single-ticket system for public transport await Mumbaiites

While 2018 saw a few effective changes in the daily commute of Mumbaiites, 2019 is set to be a smoother ride with a new suburban railway terminus, new rail corridors, a single-ticket system for all modes of public transport, more air-conditioned (AC) local trains, buses and a few technological innovations.

A Western Railway train at Andheri in Mumbai. (HT FILE)

By the end of January, the Western Railway (WR) will get a new and improved AC train to add to the city’s lone AC rake. In all, 49 AC local trains will make their way to the city by the end of 2020.

A new suburban mini-terminus at Parel is expected to be unveiled in March as authorities extend and widen platforms at the railway station. Further, the ambitious Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3A, aimed at improving connectivity between Mumbai and neighbouring areas, has got a green light from the state government and is expected to be cleared by the Centre before the Lok Sabha elections.

Mumbaiites can also expect a single-ticketing system to be implemented in 2019. Under this system, one smart card will be sufficient for all modes of public transport, which will help save passengers’ time. Also, experts suggest that Railways should consider introducing double-decker local trains or convert at least 50% of the coaches in local trains to AC ones, to cater to more passengers. “We recommend a few AC coaches for each train. Also, by changing the interiors of existing coaches, it is possible to make some trains double- decker ones,” said Vivek Pai, of Mumbai Mobility Forum. He said the government should also consider dedicated bus lanes on major arterial roads to reduce congestion on the city’s roads.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) said that they expect to complete work on the 5th and 6th lines between Diva and Thane stations by June 2019. “Besides this, work for MUTP-3 will gain momentum and MUTP-3A is likely to get all necessary approvals,” said Sanjay Singh, spokesperson for MRVC.

Coming to road commute, Mumbaiites will be able to travel in AC buses in 2019 with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) planning to procure 40 AC e-buses, apart from 40 regular e-buses, through wet leases. Under this system, private operators will be responsible for the drivers and maintenance of buses. The authority is procuring these buses under the Centre’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles) programme. From next year, BEST commuters will also be able to get information such as estimated time of arrivals of buses at the stops and on their smartphones through an app, which will be part of a Intelligent Traffic Management System.

On the app-based taxi front, commuters can expect to be rid of surge pricing for Ola, Uber next year if the government accepts the provisions of a report.

The government will also start fitting tamper-proof high-security number plates for vehicles. “The new vehicles will be fitted with theft-proof high-security number plates next year,” said Shekhar Channe, state transport commissioner.