City's new road and rail infra needs to iron out creases
MUMBAI:
Prolonged birthing pangs involving dug-up roads, utility line disruptions and the erasure of old landmarks have finally yielded fruit. A shiny new web of transport infrastructure has gifted Mumbaikars several fast and convenient options to travel to work and get home. If only a few creases were ironed out, these road and rail networks would find greater utility and acceptance among commuters. Mumbai Mirror conducted an audit of Mumbai's modern transport initiatives, and found that the massive investment is yet to be justified given partial usage and low occupancy.
1) Mumbai Coastal Road Project: Full Completion Awaited
Over a year since the Coastal Road was first opened to traffic, commuting from South Mumbai to
Bandra
has become remarkably seamless. What once seemed unthinkable--a 10-minute drive from Marine Drive to Bandra--is now a daily reality, thanks to this signal-free corridor built on reclaimed land.
The pearly smooth road, however, will maximise its value once the entire necklace is strung. The Coastal Road still awaits full completion. Key infrastructure elements such as parking facilities, a planned vehicular underpass near the Worli stretch, and the much-anticipated open public spaces across 70 hectares of reclaimed land remain unfinished.
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Currently, the Coastal Road sees a daily traffic volume of about 48,000 vehicles--24,375 heading southbound and 23,832 northbound. This is a substantial jump from the 18,000-20,000 vehicles recorded shortly after its partial opening in March 2024. The surge is largely due to the Jan 2025 opening of the southbound connector to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, which has significantly boosted connectivity and encouraged more motorists to shift to the new route.
The road was originally designed to handle approximately 1,30,000 vehicles per day across its fully operational 29.2km, eight-lane expanse till the western suburbs. Current usage stands at roughly 37% of this projected capacity as the entire length of road going till the suburbs isn't yet complete.
Marine Drive resident Mahendra Hemdev says the road has made travel comfortable and predictable. "It's reassuring to know you can get from Marine Drive to Bandra in just 10 minutes. But my main concern is speeding. The cameras don't seem adequate, and that's something authorities need to address urgently," he says.
Tushar Prabhoo
, a resident of Navroji Gamadia Road off Pedder Road, shared similar sentiments. "Traffic near St Stephen's Church is definitely an issue once you exit the Breach Candy interchange, though Pedder Road itself is mostly clear now. Getting to Bandra is a breeze, but reaching the airport remains a challenge due to congestion and ongoing infrastructure work beyond that point," he said.
Construction began around Nov 2018 and was to be completed in Nov 2023. However, the Covid-induced lockdown and a design change owing to resistance from Worli fisherfolk pushed the deadline of the final leg. The entire project is yet to see completion. The total project cost is Rs 13,983.8 crore which includes construction cost of Rs 9,383.7 crore and other administrative charges.
(Coastal Road box)
a) Restricted timings
-- The 24x7 opening of the coastal road is still awaited
-- It is open daily from 7am till midnight
b) How many motorists have used it:
5m vehicles from the opening day of March 12, 2024, till Dec 31, 2024, says BMC
c) Beautification of medians
-- Tata Sons and affiliates are beautifying dividers along the road over an area of approximately 4.35km (4.8 hectares) from Priyadarshini Park to Worli. It will be funded through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund
2) MTHL Sees Low Traffic Despite Being a Major Connector, High Toll to Blame
The much-awaited Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), touted as a game-changer for inter-city travel between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, is seeing a trickle of vehicles despite being a key infrastructure milestone. Official data reveals that actual usage of the sea bridge falls far short of projections, largely due to the steep toll charges.
When it was opened to the public earlier this year, authorities estimated a daily traffic of nearly 70,000 vehicles. However, current figures hover between 23,000 and 26,000 vehicles per day--barely a third of the expected volume.
Experts attribute the underwhelming numbers to the high toll fees--Rs 250 for a one-way trip by car, Rs 375 for a return journey, and even higher for commercial vehicles. While the bridge reduces travel time from Sewri to Chirle to under 20 minutes, many commuters, especially daily travellers, find the toll unaffordable.
Prabhadevi resident Amey Samant said, "Unless the toll is rationalised or bundled into a more economical monthly pass, many will stick to traditional routes despite the traffic."
The 21.8km sea bridge offers seamless travel with no signals or speed breakers, making it one of the most efficient corridors in the region. But efficiency alone isn't enough to draw in users if affordability remains a roadblock.
A senior
MMRDA
official, while acknowledging the shortfall, said, "We are studying travel patterns and feedback. Traffic volumes may rise once the upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport is operational. Also, the construction of the Sewri-Worli connector will boost traffic on this link as those staying in Bandra-Khar-Santacruz belt will use this corridor instead of going via Vashi."
For now, the Rs 18,000-crore project remains underutilised--a stark reminder that connectivity without affordability limits public acceptance.
3) New Metro Rail Lines Struggle with Low Ridership Despite High Investment
Despite adding several new Metro Rail corridors over the past year, Mumbai's ambitious urban transit network is operating at a fraction of its carrying capacity. Ridership on most new Metro lines remains as low as 20% to 30%, with authorities struggling to attract daily commuters.
Lines like Metro 2A (Dahisar-DN Nagar) and Metro 7 (Dahisar East-Gundavali) were expected to ease congestion on Western Express Highway and Link Road. But ground reports show that rail coaches are often sparsely occupied, even during peak hours.
Transport planners and commuters point to two major deterrents: Poor last-mile connectivity and relatively high ticket prices. "Many Metro stations are far from residential hubs or business districts. Autos and buses don't offer seamless connectivity," said Andheri resident Shraddha Jain, who reverted to taking her car after a week's trial.
However, Borivali resident Rajesh Shah said, 'The 2A corridor line has a fair crowd size compared to Metro 7."
By contrast, Metro Line 1 (Ghatkopar-Versova), which integrates well with the suburban railway network and has better feeder connectivity, continues to witness overcrowding. Ironically, this high-performing line still operates with 4-coach rakes despite repeated passenger demands for 6-coach upgrades.
An MMRDA official said, "The line will definitely witness good crowds after Phase I of Line 9 (Dahisar-Kashigaon) becomes operational by the end of this year. Many from Mira-Bhayander belt will switch to Metro as it will offer direct connection to western suburbs on both, east and west side of the Western Railway tracks."
The longest underground Metro 3, which as of now operates between Aarey JVLR and Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli, has a ridership of 50,000 but it is still way below the expected number of 5 lakh. However, a senior MMRCL official said "travel patterns take time to change and it will definitely attract a significant crowd when the full line is opened till Cuffe Parade in Aug."
Dadar resident Ajit Shenoy said, "The authorities need to focus not just on constructing lines but ensuring that people can access them easily. The Metro network should work as a web, not in isolation."
Unless these connectivity gaps are bridged and fares rationalised, the city's Metro dream risks remaining a white elephant.
4)
Monorail
: A Good Idea That Never Took Off
Conceived as a sleek solution to Mumbai's east-west connectivity woes, the Monorail today stands as a cautionary tale in urban planning. Despite covering densely populated areas like
Chembur
, Wadala, and Jacob Circle, the 19.5-km corridor has failed to draw consistent ridership.
Launched with much fanfare in 2014, the Monorail was expected to carry 1.5 to 2 lakh passengers daily. A decade later, it struggles to cross even 15,000 a day.
Frequent breakdowns, long wait times, limited rakes and poor integration with other modes of transport are some of the key reasons behind the failure. The route passes through heavily populated zones, yet there are few feeder services or pedestrian-friendly pathways to attract commuters.
Chembur resident Nandita Jadhav said, "It was built without proper planning for interchange hubs or seamless integration with the local train or Metro systems. It's like a disconnected ribbon running through the city."
Operational reliability remains another concern. Commuters have often faced delays, cancellations and even safety hazards. At one point, the Monorail service was suspended for months following a fire incident.
Even though the fare is relatively low (Rs 10-40), the lack of frequency and speed fails to justify the cost for daily office-goers. For many, a bus or shared auto is still more reliable.
Sources within MMRDA admit the Monorail hasn't met expectations but maintain that efforts are being made to improve services. A senior MMRDA official said, 'The line is expected to gain more ridership after the Metro 2B (Mandale to Chembur) becomes operational. This connectivity will be crucial to those who want to travel to the island city."
MMRDA sources said they will also deploy additional rakes only after Metro 2B and Metro 4 lines become operational.
But as things stand, the Monorail—built at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore—remains a glossy, underperforming showpiece of a system that could have been so much more. The Monorail, often referred to as the "White Elephant", is hoping to recover from losses amounting to Rs 500 crore.
Monorail's Phase I (Chembur to Wadala) became operational in Feb 2014, and the entire 20km stretch up to Jacob Circle was opened to commuters in March 2019. Currently, the Monorail operates 142 services at a frequency of 15 minutes.
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Time of India
4 hours ago
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