TOI: Traffic restraint plan impractical: September 18, 2008

‘Traffic restraint plan impractical’

This Is What The State Told HC, Dismissing The Scheme As ‘Untimely’

Mumbai: “Untimely and impractical,’’—that’s the Maharashtra government’s verdict on the proposal for a traffic restraint scheme (TRS) for Mumbai. Listing out its various transport and infrastructure projects, from MUTP rail projects, to flyovers, Metro Rail and the BRTS, the government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court that the TRS was not an option.

“Massive effort has been launched to improve Mumbai’s public transport,’’ said the affidavit—which was submitted to the court by assistant government pleader S K Nair—of transport commissioner Shyamsunder Shinde. “The state government along with the railways and other agencies are alive to the transportation challenges facing the city. Some projects have been completed, others are ongoing and their impact should be positive in easing the congestion,’’ the affidavit added.

The government’s statement was made before a division bench, comprising Justice J N Patel and Justice K K Tated, which is hearing a PIL filed by Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG), seeking implementation of TRS proposed in 2001 by the then transport commissioner V M Lal. Under the proposed scheme, which would be applicable during peak hours, vehicles with number plates ending with 1 and 2 would be barred entry into the island city on Mondays, those ending with 3 and 4 on Tuesdays, 5 and 6 on Wednesdays, 7 and 8 on Thursdays and 9 and 0 on Fridays.

The TRS had been put forth as a substantial proposal to ease the traffic problems on city roads, which witness an addition of 400 new vehicles every day. The government had, however, insisted that it was public transport projects that need attention. “There has to be an incentive to avoid the use of private vehicles,’’ advocate Nair had told the court at an earlier hearing.

“The implementation of TRS, at this point in time, looking at the public transportation effort, the constraints in implementing the scheme, renders it untimely and impractical,’’ said the affidavit.

MUMBAI’S LIFELINES

Among the schemes touted by the state government to decongest the city are:

MUTP PHASE I & II (RAIL) |

The projects, to be implemented at a cost of over Rs 8,000 crore, will see the construction of around 200 km of additional tracks, addition of around 200 rakes and 1,107 new train services. “After MUTP II is completed, the level of congestion in a suburban rake would be brought down to about 3,000 passengers (from the existing 5,000) per 9-car rake,’’ said the affidavit

MUTP (ROAD) |

This includes construction of east and west road links, road over bridges, procurement of eco-friendly buses, pedestrian grade separator scheme and the station area traffic improvement scheme

MUIP |

MMRDA will construct 462 km of arterial roads, including flyovers, rail over bridges and pedestrian subways

METRO RAIL |

An overall metro rail network of 146.5 km would be developed in three phases. The first phase includes the Versova-Ghatkopar link (Rs 2,356 crore) and Charkop-Mankhurd link (Rs 8,250 crore)

BUS RAPID TRANSIT SCHEME |

It envisions exclusive bus lanes. The feasibility study is expected to be completed by February 2009, said the affidavit Other projects like the Bandra-Worli sealink project, Worli-Haji Ali sealink project, Peddar Road via-duct have also been mentioned as initiatives that would “decongest the city’’.

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