“It is the right time to introduce urban congestion charges”: R Ramana, Director Planning, MMRCL

We are addressing this. Feeder buses with City Flo have been arranged at some stations. Of the 27 requested share auto stands from the RTO, 12 have been approved. We have also requested 20 share taxi stands, though they are yet to become active.

We expect the new academic year to bring more student commuters. The line has already proved to be a gamechanger for airport access and for large events like Lollapalooza and the upcoming IPL. At present, we are running 267 services daily.

Q. Has the issue of underground mobile connectivity seen any progress?

A. Not yet. Telecom companies have not come to the negotiating table to settle on a middle ground. I believe the issue will get resolved as ridership increases.

Q. Telecom companies say charges should be treated as public utility costs, not revenue sources. Your response?

A. Public transport needs non fare revenue to remain financially viable. This is not revenue for revenue’s sake. It helps offset passenger fares.

MMRC has already begun repaying loans taken for Line 3. We are paying about Rs 380 to Rs 400 crore this year, and this will increase. Overall, we will be servicing around Rs 3,000 crore in loans, besides meeting operational costs. Financial sustainability is critical.

Q. You are planning Line 11 from Wadala to Gateway of India. What stage is the project at?

A. Line 11 is in its early planning stage. Approval from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is awaited. That will unlock funding avenues.

JICA has shown interest in funding loans for the project. A cost sharing framework has been drawn up between the BMC, Mumbai Port Trust and the state government, but this will be finalised after central approval.

Q. What will the interim consultant do?

A. Bid evaluation is ongoing. The consultant will handle pre engineering work such as geotechnical surveys, building condition surveys, alignment finalisation and engineering designs.

Q. Are you anticipating major challenges, especially in dense areas like Bhendi Bazaar?

A. The challenges will be similar to Line 3, possibly greater in some stretches. But we now have experience handling underground construction in high density zones, so we are better prepared.

Q. You have worked in transport infrastructure for 35 years. How has Mumbai changed?

A. I began working in Mumbai in 1991. The suburban railway remains unchanged in its role as the backbone of mass transport, including its overcrowding.

What has changed significantly is private vehicle ownership. Mumbai once prided itself on low private vehicle numbers. Today it competes with other metros. Even after widening arterial roads like JVLR and the Western Express Highway, congestion has increased. There is simply not enough road or parking space to accommodate the growth.

During Covid, many people shifted to private vehicles when roads were empty. A section of former public transport users has not returned.

Public transport has improved incrementally, but slowly people are losing their connection with it. That is worrying. In a city like Mumbai, public transport numbers should always rise. Otherwise, the city will not be able to breathe.

Q. What is the solution? Will the metro network be enough?

A. This is the right time to introduce urban congestion charges, road usage fees or a user fee on private vehicles.

Commuting patterns must change. Otherwise, the 300 plus kilometre metro network we are building risks underutilisation. People spending hours in traffic need to experience the benefits of faster, safer and more productive travel.

Feeder services and interchange between metro lines are challenges today, but these will become second nature over time.

The metro network is projected to serve one crore passengers daily in the long term, potentially overtaking the suburban railway. That would improve safety, comfort and productivity across the system.

Q. With projects like the Coastal Road focused on private vehicles, does that contradict the push for public transport?

A. Urban infrastructure must cater to different income and productivity groups. The Coastal Road is designed for high speed travel.