Life in a Metro

Representation Pic

My lady, I hardly slept last night…" began Sir PM as he waved frantically to get his friend's attention. They decided to ditch their usual meeting space, and instead hang around the usually buzzing Nariman Point that gets quieter and less chaotic on Sundays.

For those who skipped the intro, he was referring to the highly anticipated red-letter day in Bombay's urban transport history. Both sutradhaars had managed to wiz past security and were able to sneak into the first train of Metro-3 at the Bandra Kurla Complex, all the way to Santacruz Metro station. This was the first phase of the city's first underground Metro from Colaba via Bandra to SEEPZ.

Sir PM sported a broad smile. "The Metro train ride was exciting, wasn't it?" He glanced at his friend who seemed a tad distracted. "So sorry, dear Pheroze, I was lost in thought. You know, throughout the ride I couldn't help but wonder why the city didn't think of building this alternative, and much-needed means of public transport at least two or three decades earlier. Surely, we had the technology and the brains to develop it. And with all due apologies to my friends in Calcutta, if they had it 40 years ago, back in 1984, then wasn't our city napping all this while?" she thundered, clearly knocking out some of the happiness from Sir PM's mood.

Lady Flora's comments caught Sir PM off guard. He wasn't expecting her wet blanket-like approach after what he thought was a memorable moment, a key landmark in the city's urban transport history. But he decided to walk the delicate line. "Well, I am hopeful that this introduction to the city's transport map will go a long way in easing congestion especially along this high-density stretch and give hassled Bombaywallahs respite, and more importantly, another efficient commuting option," he reasoned, hoping to bring his friend back to the present.

"All of that, I understand…" replied Lady Flora, whose agitated mood hadn't waned, "…but why this rush to open just one phase of the entire route? I don't understand. It appears to be a hasty decision. The entire route could have been opened at one go to benefit more citizens. Won't it lead to crowding and unnecessary confusion, adding to bottlenecks and related challenges along the route? We experienced a similar scenario for months when only a section of the other-hyped project - the Coastal Road was partially opened earlier this year; you recall the congestion and traffic jams it caused at the entry and exit points," she argued.

Sir PM had no answer to her Spanish inquisition-like battery of questions. He tapped into his memory to recall how he'd tackle such tricky moments from his days in the Bombay High Court. "I see your point. The city has been short-changed for decades now, where infrastructural development has never actually kept pace with our growing population and has strained existing means of transport, in particular. I put it down to lack of vision from consecutive governments and civic gods, in my humble assessment. But I guess, it's best to look forward, and how it can provide better facilities at least to the coming generations. Looking back will lead to further irritation; the what-could-have-beens are too many to narrate, I am afraid. Let us hail what we have managed to achieve."

Lady Flora heard out her friend and realised it was pointless to vent. "The city has been at the receiving end of poor, ad-hoc planning, especially in recent decades, and raking it up all over again would be a waste of time. I hope they can speed up the remaining phases on this line and hurry with the other lines too. Look at how half the city has been dug up because of so many other unfinished Metro line works! Someone's got to be accountable for the endless inconvenience caused to the average citizen," she sighed. By now, they had reached the site of the Colaba Metro station. "I am counting down the days when we can board from Colaba Metro station. How convenient it will be for SoBo folks like us to head to the suburbs. No more jostling at the terminus!" he chuckled.

As usual, Lady Flora had to have the last word. "It's all very well to get caught in this fervour of the opening. But we cannot lose focus when it comes to deadlines, especially, if we claim to be a ‘world-class' city. I am grateful to the Japanese who funded this project, but why can't we be like them when it comes to meeting deadlines?"

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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