Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Jan 30: The Maharashtra government has announced plans to conduct a detailed feasibility study for three major infrastructure projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including underground parking malls beneath metro stations, a water taxi network, and ropeways. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and other state agencies have been directed to submit detailed project reports within the next two to three months, according to state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik. The proposals were discussed in a high-level meeting attended by officials from the state transport department, the urban development department, and the Maharashtra Maritime Board.
Mumbai, a city grappling with limited parking spaces, could see underground parking malls being constructed beneath metro stations. These multi-use facilities would not only offer parking solutions but also house commercial and office spaces above ground. Sarnaik emphasized that utilizing the space below metro stations for parking would ease congestion and provide seamless connectivity for motorists using metro services. With nearly 13 million vehicles across MMR, including five million in Mumbai alone, finding viable parking solutions remains a challenge. However, transport analyst Jagdeep Desai remarked that such planning should have been incorporated during the initial metro development phase, and suggested alternatives such as ramps, lifts, and stack parking systems.
The government is also revisiting the idea of introducing water taxis in Mumbai. Despite previous unsuccessful attempts to establish water transport links, Sarnaik reaffirmed his commitment to developing a comprehensive water transport network extending up to Alibag and Virar. He stressed the importance of reducing dependency on trains and metro services by tapping into Mumbai’s vast coastal belt. The MMRDA will oversee infrastructure development for water taxis, while the Maharashtra Maritime Board will prepare the project’s technical report.
In addition to water taxis, the government is reviving the ropeway project under the Parvatmala initiative. Earlier, MMRDA had proposed two ropeway corridors, Charkop-Marve (3.6 km) and Mahavir Nagar-Gorai (7.2 km), with an estimated cost of Rs 383 cr and Rs 575 cr, respectively. Although tenders were invited in 2019, the project did not materialize. Now, the government is looking to identify feasible locations for ropeways while ensuring minimal interference with residential redevelopment projects.
Sarnaik also announced plans to expedite the pod-taxi project in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), spanning 8.8 km from Bandra East to Kurla with 38 stations. He assured that the project would be fast-tracked to prevent it from meeting the same fate as Mumbai’s Monorail, which failed to attract sufficient ridership.
The Maharashtra government aims to finalize project reports for all these initiatives within the next few months, setting the stage for transformative changes in Mumbai’s transportation and infrastructure landscape.