Until Phase II starts, monorail will just be a tourist attraction: Experts

It has been open to the public for all of two days but the newly launched phase I of the monorail and the MMRDA authorities are already attracting a fair share of criticism. Transport experts have come out and questioned the need of the monorail running between Wadala and Chembur saying the new mode of transport should have been planned better.

Many commuters in the first two days of operation seemed to be on a joyride. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi

"The project is a waste of public money, as phase I of the monorail does not run through a heavily populated residential area neither is it an industrial area. Rather than having a monorail connecting Wadala to Chembur, the authorities should have constructed it from Bandra-Kurla Complex to Sion or Kurla," said transport expert Jitendra Gupta.

Gupta added, "This monorail will be a tourist destination and nothing else. Across the world, transportation systems like the monorail are used to connect cities to the airports. The authorities should have planned it in an area where it was required."

Echoing similar sentiments, Sudhir Badami, another transport expert, added, "The monorail will not be used by many till phase 2 is complete. Only once the entire line is complete and operational, will people use it. However, the monorail will not garner the response that the MMRDA authorities are expecting. Rather than spending money on such costly projects, the officials should plan projects like Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) which is less expensive and will cater to more commuters."

An MMRDA official requesting anonymity said, "We are happy with the response we are getting from the commuters and we think that the line will continue to get a similar response. At present, the train is only operational from morning to afternoon but when it will run in two shifts we will earn more revenue."