Bumps and the grind: A lowdown on MUTP

The Mumbai Urban Transport Project, better known as MUTP-II, has tread a long, long road ever since town planners foresaw the commuting nightmare unfolding in Mumbai. Just when the project seemed poised to finally get on the road, the World Bank asked officials to trim its flab. The Express Newsline team presents part 1 of a two-part lowdown on a project designed to ease Mumbai's commuting woes.HISTORY: ACT ONE, 1962

One of the first studies of Mumbai's traffic conditions was in 1962, when Wilbur Smith & Associates, on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, Government of India, prepared the Road Development Plan for the then Bombay and surrounding area for the period between 1961-81. It recommended freeways, expressways, new and improved arterial streets and intersection improvements. The then cost: Rs 96 crore.

ACT TWO, 1969

The Traffic Cell of the Town Planning and Valuation Department of the Government of Maharashtra undertook the Mass TransportationStudy of Bombay in 1969. It contained various surveys: commuter survey, workplace survey, household survey and volume of traffic survey. The projection period was consistent with that proposed by Wilbur Smith: 1961-81. A key recommendation was the sixth and seventh rail corridors between Carnac Bunder and Ravli Junction.

ACT THREE, 1976

The Bombay Urban Transport Project (BUTP I) started in this year, at an investment of Rs 39 crore with a World Bank loan of US$ 25 million and consisted mainly of improving BEST services. The main components of the project were purchase of buses, development of depots and construction of flyovers.

ACT FOUR: 1994

From the experience of BUTP I, the MMRDA decided to formulate an ambitious multi-modal project called the Bombay Urban Transport Project II for a holistic improvement in traffic and transportation in Mumbai. At the WB's instance, international consultants WS Atkins were appointed to develop a comprehensive transportation plan for theBMR.

ATKINS' FINDINGS

The Atkins' report stressed the need to develop a more integrated and reliable public transport system. The traffic forecasts underlined the need: Travel demand was expected to grow by 51 per cent in 2011, peak hour public transport journeys were to rise by 47 per cent from the existing 88 per cent in 1991. The pressure on the Central and Western railways was to increase with the maximum demand north of Bandra on the WR and north of Kurla on CR.

IMPLEMENTATION

The Atkins study realised the importance of the railways, the fastest mass transport system with the least pollution impact, and recommended that the two railway systems operating in the city be clubbed into one and a new Mumbai regional railway corporation be set up. Bus services were to have been increased alongwith setting up linkways, freeways and expressways. Intersection redesigns (which later led to the banishment of Haji Ali's traffic island), one way traffic systems, traffic signalling andbus lanes were recommended. Traffic movements were to be controlled by banned turns and selective routes, high parking rates and cordon pricing.

THE REHABILITATION QUESTION

After the Narmada Bachao Andolan brought into focus the poor rehabilitation of project affected people, the WB insisted on a separate study of the number of people who would be affected.

INTERLUDE

By the end of 1996, most of the project preparation studies were on their way to completion. These included environmental assessment of MUTP-II, the finalisation of the road projects, the area traffic control experiment where signals were to be synchronised to change automatically depending on the traffic at the junctions, institutional studies of combined suburban rail operations, development of remanufacturing of EMU rakes and conversion of trains from DC to AC current. Work was supposed to start by 1997.

But that was as far as it went. There was no go on the formation of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation forthe combined suburban rail operations. The WB sent a stinker in April 1997, saying it was considering withdrawing from the project if there was no progress on this front. This jolted the state government into action and by the end of the year, the Central cabinet had approved a note formalising the formation of the MRVC. The seed capital of over Rs 300 crore was to be split at 49-51 per cent between the state and the railways. There was to be a cess on suburban passengers which has for the time being been postponed.

(To be concluded)

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