Nothing could be farther from the truth. While flyovers may not be purely public transport projects, extra lanes have been created for buses - one of the two public transport modes in Mumbai. But that is not the only benefit. If the MSRDC succeeds in its goal of decongesting Mumbai, it will remove the one constraint that has prevented the municipal corporation from adding more buses and servicing additional routes - lack of space. Ultimately it is the common man who also stands to gain from the project.

The other allegation that flyovers are not integrated with the MUTP project may be true, but is meaningless. The MUTP-II was conceived in 1986. Twelve years later, the project is still undergoingvarious feasibility studies. Funds for even the suburban rail projects have yet to be dispensed. Had the flyover project been integrated into it, it may not have seen the light of day for more than a decade. All this for Rs 4,000-crore of funding from the World Bank.

For long, city fathers have thought that the World Bank is the only recourse for funding transport projects. The MSRDC has, by raising Rs 1,200 crore from the capital market, proved them wrong. By staying on schedule and within costs they have proved that the investors' faith was justified. It would be a pity if some interests were to put up unnecessary roadblocks.