Shot Videos 
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik sheds light on plans to boost connectivity and ease commuters’ woes; he said that a few key projects for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region such as a formidable water transport system, underground parking hubs outside railway and Metro stations
State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Pic/Rajendra B. Aklekar
State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said that a few key projects for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region such as a formidable water transport system, underground parking hubs outside railway and Metro stations, pod taxis and cable cars would go a long way towards solving the area’s transport issues. In a chat with mid-day, Sarnaik unveiled his master plan.
ADVERTISEMENT
Do you see the idea of having water transport for Mumbai and MMR as feasible?
All global cities near the sea across the world have a strong water transport network and I am surprised that Mumbai and MMR don’t have anything similar. The creeks adjoining Mumbai and the rivers linking it are deep enough to have such a facility. This city needs to have water transport and I have taken up the issue very seriously. The department has commissioned a study and asked teams to submit a development plan in the next two to three months. Be it Ro-Ro, ropeway, water taxi or water Metro facilities, we have now taken an interest in building a formidable and comprehensive water transport system for Mumbai.
But there were multiple efforts before this and nothing seems to have happened beyond studies and reports. Why will this not be just another effort at it?
Yes. There have been several attempts prior to this but if you look closely, they were all isolated projects. Someone running a hovercraft or a two, or some boat. They run for a few days and then withdraw. It will never work that way. The government has to actively participate in it with full interest and make it work. What we are doing now is to get this done at the policy level. This will make all the difference.
What exactly is being done on this front? Could you please elaborate?
There are multiple bodies with multiple expertise. There are the Maritime Board, a relatively small body, and the MMRDA [Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority], which has expertise in operations. So, the Maritime Board can help set up the whole thing and MMRDA or a similar body can operate it. We need to understand that we do not have large infra if a boat capsizes. Then there are multiple issues like a large amount of silt accumulating in the creek and water from municipal areas being dumped into the creek, which will raise a stink. We will need a large dedicated agency for all this and the idea is to create a water corporation similar to that of a rail corporation. I have asked the team to work on this idea and submit me a presentation in the next two months.
What about the parking problem in Mumbai?
This is a matter of last-mile connectivity. Even if I take the train, I am faced with the problem of where to park my vehicle. During the British Raj, bus stands and depots were built near railway stations. Times have changed. It is now about one’s own vehicles, be they two-wheelers or four-wheelers. One idea is to build huge underground parking lots near railway and Metro stations. These should be of the standard of malls and possess all amenities, even small petrol pumps, if required so that they can thrive. This is another idea that we are working on.
Pod taxis and ropeways are other ideas you have mooted…
We have set the wheels rolling and in the next two years, the pod taxi project shall see the light of the day on the 8-km stretch from Bandra Kurla Complex to Kurla. I have already warned my departments that the pod taxi scheme should not go the monorail way and they are working on it with all aspects in mind. As far as cable cars or ropeways in the MMR are concerned, the idea has already received in-principle approval from Union Road Transport and Highways Minister
Nitin Gadkari.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
