Mumbai Metro Line 3: No relief for university folk

The Santacruz Metro station, which is 2.1 km from the Mumbai University campus

Despite the buzz around Mumbai's newly launched Metro Line 3 - Aqua Line - students, staff, and visitors to the University of Mumbai's Kalina Campus are left disappointed. Originally expected to improve access to the Vidyanagri campus, the metro doesn't offer a convenient last-mile solution, with no station close enough to ease daily commute.

The Vidyanagri station, now renamed Bandra Colony, sits 2.7 km away from the campus, while the Santacruz Metro station is slightly closer at 2.1 km. However, both locations require over 30 minutes of walking. Many students note that Santacruz railway station, less than 2 km from the university, offers faster access by autorickshaw, taking just five to six minutes to reach the campus entrance.

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When mid-day tested the route from the Santacruz Metro station, the nearest stop on Line 3 to the campus, the biggest drawback was the lack of last-mile connectivity. No autorickshaws were available, and there was no nearby bus stop, making the journey even more difficult.

Fairoz Logde, IT professional working for a Marol-based company (right) Auto driver Ram Kumar Gupta

After alighting at Santacruz metro station at 6.52 pm on Tuesday, this reporter had to wait until 7.30 pm for an auto. Eventually, the reporter shared a ride with Fairoz Logde, an IT professional working for a Marol-based company, who was also struggling to find transport after using the Metro line for the first time. We reached the main gate of the university campus at 7.49 pm. "I was hoping the Metro would simplify my commute," said Logde, who frequently travels from Marol to the Kalina campus.

"I usually take a share auto or bus from Kalina to Santacruz station and then a train to Andheri. When I heard the Metro line had opened, I thought it would make my commute easier - just one Metro ride from Marol Naka to Santacruz and then an auto home. But finding transport here has been challenging. I wish there was a bus terminal or share auto stand nearby," Logde added.

‘Metro ridership may suffer'

Until infrastructure around the stations improves, commuters may continue to rely on traditional, more reliable routes. Ashish Kumar Dwivedi, a former student of Mumbai University, shared his concerns, saying, "Last-mile connectivity is a huge issue right now. I hope the authorities take note of what commuters are facing and plan for either a bus stop or a share-auto stand nearby. Otherwise, this will become very inconvenient and eventually affect ridership. Many people like me frequently travel to the university. Students and staff members commute daily, and many have told me that the old modes of transport are better because they provide end-to-end service without long waiting times." Dwivedi added, "I also noticed that the escalators at many stations are still not operational or are incomplete. It seems like they rushed to get the Metro inaugurated by the prime minister ahead of the Assembly elections."

Vinay Yadav, a civics and politics student at Mumbai University, said, "I live in Ghatkopar, so when the Metro started, I was really excited, deciding to ride it on Day One. I took the Metro from Ghatkopar, got off at Tecno Marol Naka on Line 1, and changed to Line 3 at Marol Naka. The entrances for both lines are very close, which was convenient. However, things got confusing after switching over. I read online that the Vidyanagari station had been renamed to Bandra Colony, so I got off there. It was only when my friend told me that Santacruz station was the nearest that I realised my mistake. On Monday and Tuesday, the toughest part was finding a bus or auto. There was either a long wait or I had to walk quite a bit to find a vehicle."

‘Hope things change'

Ram Kumar Gupta, an auto driver who dropped us at the university's main entrance from Santacruz Metro station, said, "No autos stop outside the Metro station because it's a busy road. I accepted the fare, but now I have to go back empty. Usually, passengers from the university head to Kurla or Santacruz stations, which isn't profitable for me, and there's too much traffic during peak hours. Even going back toward the Metro station is not feasible due to the traffic. Since it's only been two days, we don't get many commuters travelling to the Santacruz Metro yet. Hopefully, after a month or so, once more people start using the Metro, things will change."