Mumbai: How crowding at Bandra and Kurla stations can be fixed

Crowding is common at Kurla station. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The two key railway stations in Mumbai that see a very high footfall and pedestrian movement on the outside, Kurla and Bandra, continue to remain neglected, and the best possible solution in the given scenario would be to introduce a Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme (SATIS) at these spots to segregate and streamline traffic and people.

The SATIS at Thane railway station

Experts and stakeholders with whom mid-day spoke cited Thane as an example of a station where SATIS, which includes elevated decks for buses, has made a difference. Though chaos has not entirely abated at the station, crowds are segregated in an organised manner. Public buses are available on the first floor of the station which has a long skywalk for pedestrians. The ground floor is solely for autos, taxis and private vehicles.

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Traffic outside the station at Bandra East

A SATIS basically facilitates the mass dispersal of passengers outside the station. Stations tend to get crowded with the arrival of trains and hence this comprehensive plan was mooted to decongest them. It includes the development of infrastructure around the station.

Bandra East

It was after mid-day carried out a comprehensive railway station audit in 2018 that Bandra station got a streamlined plan and more foot overbridges and space for commuters on platforms. While auto lanes and bus lanes foster a sense of orderliness at Bandra West, disorder is witnessed in the east, where maximum pedestrian movement occurs. Things have been even more chaotic ever since the skywalk was razed.

The area outside Bandra East station

An exponential rise in the station's commuter numbers has been seen ever since the business hub of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) came up and the civic body's efforts to set up more infrastructure came to nought, making a stampede-like situation during peak hours an everyday affair. It is not just the BKC crowd, but also those on their way to the Bandra Terminus who get down at Bandra East and are tricked by the illegal auto mafia.

"Bandra East is the one place where a SATIS is required. The area is in a shambles, and one cannot get to the highway on foot as the footpaths have been encroached upon and autos crowd the road. Near the Bandra court, two-wheelers are parked on the footpath. Our bus leaves us near the depot and the station is two minutes away from there, but this walk is a frustrating one," a commuter, Shwetha Nagrajan, said.

Once a commuter ends up at Bandra East, they see:

>> Rowdy auto drivers trying to lure commuters
>> Bus lanes and stops blocked by autos
>> BEST buses not stopping at bus stops
>> BEST bus stops in a shambles
>> No police officers monitoring the situation
>> A razed skywalk
>> Unnavigable footpaths
>> Bikes and two-wheelers parked on footpaths

What can be done?

An elevated deck outside Bandra East station segregates BEST and other public transport buses while keeping auto and other private vehicle traffic on the lower deck. Pedestrians can get their skywalk back and can set out from the station and land at the highway junction near Bandra court. The work on this bit is underway,

Kurla West

Kurla is another station where the municipal body needs to implement a SATIS, as extreme crowding is seen in both the east and west. The situation is comparatively worse in the west from where commuters walk towards LBS Road and the BKC junction. Bus stops are also blocked by automen. The open area near Kurla subway has a taxi and auto stand but has been taken over by hawkers and is no longer in use. The narrow alleys outside the Kurla West station are also dangerous as fire engines are unable to reach the spot quickly.

The area outside Kurla West station

"Thousands of office-goers take the shortcut through New Mill Road to reach the arterial LBS Road. A skywalk can be built from the station to the LBS Road near Belgrami Road junction. One can even come up in the stretch between the BKC MTNL office and SG Barve Marg, local leaders haven't shown any initiative in this regard," Saraswati Borkar, a long-time Kurla resident said.

Jitendra Gupta

Jitendra Gupta, a resident of Kurla West and a founder member of the Citizen Transport Committee, said, "Why can't the BEST operate buses through New Mill Road at Kurla? One can see a six-wheel 10-ton truck during peak hours but no BEST bus as the authorities have not yet taken a call on running mini-buses, which would drastically reduce auto rickshaw congestion."

"At Kurla, SATIS alone may not be the solution. The municipality's markets are also awaiting redevelopment, which would result in the accommodation of hawkers and give some hope of roads becoming encroachment free. Corruption has stalled the redevelopment of these markets," Gupta added.

Once a commuter ends up at Kurla West, they see:

>> Rowdy auto drivers trying to lure commuters
>> Hawkers blocking access ways from all sides
>> No pathways for walkers
>> The new east-west bridge being constructed
>> An unwalkable east-west subway
>> Bus lanes and stops blocked by autos
>> No police officers monitoring the situation

What can be done?

While the east has enough open space for a proper elevated deck and also has a long skywalk connecting the level crossing gate on the way to the terminus, the new elevated harbour line station must be completed quickly. An elevated deck in the west at the bus station junction, which would take commuters directly to the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, would ease traffic congestion.

Statistics and features

According to a survey conducted by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation and the professional services consulting firm Wilbur Smith Associates, Bandra station on an average sees 4,91,106 passengers entering and exiting at any time, the third-highest on WR after Churchgate and Andheri. From Bandra station, one can board trains to both Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Churchgate and also reach Bandra Terminus.

Kurla station on an average sees 3,80,930 passengers and witnesses high boarding and alighting during the morning and evening peak hours. From the station, one can catch trains for both mainline and harbour line. It is a key junction for Navi Mumbai and commuters can also connect with Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.

Pushing for SATIS: Local MLA

Kurla MLA Mangesh Kudalkar told mid-day he has been also trying to get a SATIS set up at the station. "It will not only help segregate traffic but also be a boon for all commuters, railway and otherwise. The matter is being discussed at higher levels," he said.

Thane, a success story

Thane city, which has taken the lead in public transport connectivity, is constructing a 2.4-km road only for public transport buses, including those by various municipal transport undertakings that use the route, directly from the eastern express highway to Thane station in the east, as a part of the SATIS project. A similar SATIS project had been implemented in the west of the station earlier, but this one will be an upgraded version. It will not just segregate public transport buses, auto-taxis and pedestrians, but also have many improvements like a higher upper deck.

Official speak

"We will see what we can do about this," Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu said.

Expert speak

Jagdeep Desai, architect and transport expert
He said simple organisation, segregation and strict lane management at the grade (ground) level is required instead of infrastructural intervention. "Look at what happened with Andheri auto sky deck. It is now being used by pedestrians. I wish officials would apply their minds. Rather than investing huge amounts in infra at two stations without any guarantee that this will yield results, what is needed, a serious crash study of roads at all stations."

A V Shenoy, senior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum & Mumbai Vikas Samiti
He has proposed that instead of creating a space for autos, taxis and private vehicles on the ground floor, as is the case in Thane, they should be kept on the first level, should SATIS come up in Bandra or Kurla. "We need to keep in mind that pedestrians include senior citizens, pregnant women, differently abled people. They should not be made to go up and down," he said.

4,91,106
Avg number of passengers entering and exiting Bandra station at any given time

Inputs from Sameer Surve