Mumbai Metro 3: Merging of aqua line with other modes of transport to take a month

Mumbai: The much-anticipated Aqua line of Mumbai Metro connecting Aarey JVLR with Bandra Kurla Complex will be inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. But it will take at least one more month to establish last mile connectivity with other modes of public transport such as buses, autos and taxis, as designated stands are yet to be earmarked for them near the 10 metro stations along the 12.44-km route.

“We have finalised the routes and number of stands required for various modes of transport and even notified the possible fares. But we will wait and study the travel pattern of passengers entering and leaving stations on the Metro 3 route to understand their requirements and finalise plans,” said Maharashtra transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar.

The aqua line connects various business and commercial districts like BKC, Marol and Seepz, terminals 1 and 2 of the international airport and the University of Mumbai. While these locations are not serviced by other mass public transit systems, both the BEST Undertaking and the transport department are working on finalising a holistic plan for interchange facilities at stations along the way, sources in the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) told HT.

But auto rickshaw unions alleged the transport department and regional transport offices do not seem serious about setting up separate stands for regular and shared autos.

“At least 50 stands were proposed to improve last mile connectivity on the Metro 2A and Metro 7 routes. But they have not seen the light of day,” said KK Tiwari, auto and taxi union leader.

Transport expert and member of Mumbai Mobility Forum AV Shenoy raised a similar point, saying, “The authorities should learn from the example of Metro 2A and Metro 7, where lack of last mile connectivity has contributed to less than expected footfall. Proper provision should be made for stands and bus stops along the Metro 3 corridor.”

Both Tiwari and Shenoy said the stations on the aqua line are located far away from suburban railway stations and existing shared auto stands and there is an urgent need to address the gap. Such a move would help bring down cases of fare refusals which are common in BKC and other areas, noted Tiwari.

Sources in the BEST undertaking said there are at least 85-90 bus routes that currently pass through the Metro 3 corridor, with some routes connecting a few metro stations with a headway of 7-15 minutes. For instance, 20 and 14 bus routes pass through the Marol and Seepz stations respectively, while at least 9-12 routes pass through BKC, Sahar Road and the two airport terminal stations. BEST will first inspect the demand generated from various Metro 3 stations before augmenting these routes or introducing new routes, the sources added.

On September 24, MMRC chief Ashwini Bhide had confirmed that they have sought collaboration from other government agencies to establish last mile connectivity at Metro 3 stations.

Meanwhile, transport experts said the Aarey-BKC route may not find many takers as the Andheri (W) - Dahisar stretch on Metro-2A and the Dahisar (E) - Gundavali stretch on

and Metro-7 complement the aqua line. Reaching Aarey station on the aqua line is an additional hassle, they said, as commuters will have to take an auto to either reach there from Mogra station (Line-7) or head to Marol station (Line-1).