Viability of transport under question amid safety concerns

Mumbai: While the first phase of the monorail project from Chembur to Wadala is awaiting resumption, the second phase from Wadala to Jacob Circle is yet to become operational and has to cross several obstacles before turning into a reality. The two phases of the project encompass a total of 17 stations.

The Chembur to Wadala stretch has already faced several safety issues wherein twice people were stuck on a broken down monorail and had to be rescued by the fire brigade. Eventually, a fire that broke out in 2017, gutting two rakes and bringing services to a halt.

In the light of the fact that at several places in the Wadala to Jacob Circle stretch, the route travels through crowded localities, where its difficult for the fire brigade to reach, the monorail’s viability is now being questioned.

Following the fire incident in 2017 and the expiry of the contract with Scomi and L&T, the MMRDA has tried to keep the project afloat by trying to rope in a new operator. However, a decision on the same is still pending.

While Scomi has expressed its interest to continue providing rakes and operate the monorail, in the face of safety concerns, the MMRDA has decided to procure rakes and appoint a new operator for the entire corridor.

A senior fire officer of BMC had earlier said that after the issue of fire safety at a station was raised, the MMRDA had been instructed to remove obstructions.

Meanwhile, the MMRDA has expressed hope that monorail services would resume soon, after the tendering process, which is yet to be completed.