Mumbai: Despite additional flyovers and bridges, a 56% growth in car and SUV numbers over the past six years has led to unmanageable
traffic congestion in the city, which cannot be controlled unless the entire Metro
project is tied up soon, a
state transport
study has indicated. The Colaba-Bandra-Seepz phase of the project, or
Metro-III, can especially reduce 35% of the city’s road traffic, say transport experts who have perused the study.
“Only if Metro-III starts chugging by 2020, would over 4.6 lakh and 6.65 lakh vehicle trips of Mumbaikars be saved in a day, by 2021 and 2041, respectively, and fuel worth around Rs 1.6 crore and Rs 2.3 crore during the period,” says the
feasibility study commissioned by the state
government and conducted jointly with
Indian Railways.
It adds that reducing speed of buses due to growing number of cars is the biggest challenge for Mumbai. “Buses cannot be run on fourth and fifth gears, affecting the efficiency of public transport. This has seen people shift to autos and taxi aggregators. Hence, creating a transit-oriented urban development along the upcoming
Metro routes by offering a higher FSI is the only way out to avoid congestion in the long run,” said a senior Mantralaya official involved in transport planning.
New flyovers, the sea link and freeway are not an answer to the growing mess, officials say.
The Metro will not just reduce congestion on roads by discouraging people from buying and driving cars, but also reduce pollution in a major way, the study adds.
Mantralaya officials said the city would not need to buy 450 buses if the Metro comes up by 2020. Similarly, around 10% of the planned 182km roads for Mumbai will not be required if the project proceeds as planned, the study adds.
The study has derived the above figures after calculating the expected rise in vehicles and commuters, and a shift in ridership. “The Metro will reduce 55 lakh km, 67 lakh km and 81 lakh km of daily road journey by 2021, 2031 and 2041, respectively. This will ultimately reduce fuel consumption worth Rs1.6 crore, Rs 1.9 crore and Rs 2.3 crore a day, respecively,” the findings suggest.
The study says the subsequent reduction in emission of toxic gases will reduce the city’s air pollution.
Transport experts, who participated in the recent BRICS summit held in Mumbai, have recommended heavy taxes and fees (such as levy on buying a second car and parking fees) to curb the practice of buying or preferring private vehicles over public transport. They said cars also add to pollution and consume a lot of fuel, especially during the frequent traffic jams in the city.