MMRDA's 'Public Transport Day' struggles to shift Mumbai's travel habits

Benjamin Hickman of the United Nations Environment Programme (fourth from left) and Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee (fifth from left) at the MMRDA headquarters in BKC. Pic/Sarthak Mehta

THE first ‘Public Transport Day' on Friday, a Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) initiative, received an underwhelming response on Friday, as per commuters at Bandra-Kurla Complex, who were aware of the usual ridership.

Share autorickshaw drivers near ICICI Bank

According to a staffer from the MMRDA's ‘smart' pay-and-park facility near ICICI Tower, not much impact was seen on the ground, and there were only 10 to 12 fewer cars than usual. According to BEST and Cityflo staffers, there were significantly more bus trips, with twice as many buses as usual operating during peak hours.

Ruchi Bura, a World Resources Institute volunteer; (right) Shawn Bishwas at the MMRDA's ‘smart' pay-and-park facility near ICICI Bank in Bandra-Kurla Complex. Pics/Satej Shinde

VolunteerSpeak

Volunteers from the World Resources Institute and MMRDA were seen promoting the initiative on the ground across nine locations, including the BDB family court and BKC Metro bus stops and Kurla, Bandra, and Sion railway stations - between 8.45 am and 10.30 am, and from 5 pm to 7 pm. Ruchi Bura, a college student volunteering at BKC Metro station, said, "I am here to promote this initiative because I believe in the cause. The roads are already congested. If we start understanding the importance of using public transport now, hopefully there will be a change."

‘Behavioural change is crucial'

Benjamin Hickman, project manager, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), visited the MMRDA headquarters to meet Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee on Friday. "During the meeting, he expressed his appreciation for the Public Transport Day initiative to the MMRDA commissioner," said a MMRDA spokesperson.

Hickman told mid-day, "We support this initiative. Public transport is a critical way to plan sustainable cities going forward. Mumbai already has a lot of public transport, but what we need to be doing is building the case for its usage by driving behavioural change."

What COMMUTERs present at bandra-kurla Complex had to say

Public transport users
Atish Unhawne, Vikhroli resident
‘I travelled by train to Kurla. I didn't see any special surge in ridership or crowd at Kurla station, not sure about buses because they are usually overcrowded and not very frequent'

Manga Gautham Kumar, commuter
‘I walk from ICICI Tower to BKC Metro station every evening. In the morning, it's scorching hot, so I take a share auto. Buses have a frequency of 15-20 minutes, which is a very long wait, so it's better to walk. I didn't see any difference in the Metro footfall today. The footpath was as busy as always'

Private transport users
Shawn Bishwas, Malad resident
‘I drive to BKC regularly. I'm a sales executive, and I have to wear suits and carry a heavy laptop bag and other necessary materials, which makes public transport difficult. Our public transport is often overcrowded and cramped, and though the BKC Metro station is a 10-minute walk from offices, it's very hard to manage in a suit, especially in Mumbai's heat. For those who come once in the morning and leave in the evening, public transport may work out, but for a salespeople who must move continuously from one block to another, a personal car is much more convenient. When I don't have meetings, I do take the Metro for convenience and to save money'

Rohit Yadav, Chembur resident
‘I ride to my office here, as it saves time and money. If I take the train, I also have to rely on share autorickshaws because the bus frequency is low. Public Transport Day doesn't seem to be seeing much success because commuters can't afford that much extra time to walk or take the bus for the last mile. autos, cabs, and personal vehicles currently offer convenience and save time by vast margins'