Contractor safe despite Monorail snag
MMRDA can't punish contractor, as there is no provision for taking action in case of no injury or death.
Mumbai: No action will be taken on the contractor after technical glitches in the braking system resulted in the Monorail service being shut for two hours on Saturday. This is because the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has said there is no provision for penalising or taking action against the contractor when there is no injury or death.
On Saturday, a technical snag in a brake brought the Monorail services to halt. The glitch occurred between Wadala depot and Bhakti Park Monorail station. The rake was stuck at one place that was later towed back to the car depot about almost a kilometre away.
According to MMRDA officials, the contract signed between the MMRDA and Malaysian contractor Scomi Engineering allows action against the contractor only in case of injury or loss of life. “The contract is silent on action or penalising in case frequent breakdowns and technical glitches. We cannot take any action other than ensuring that such incidents are not repeated further,” said an MMRDA official on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Khandare, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “In the bids we have floated for appointing a new operation and maintenance contractor, we have added the clauses of performance and penal action in case of breakdowns and technical glitches and so it will be taken care off henceforth.”
Ever since phase 1 of the Monorail was commissioned, its operations have constantly been in the news for reasons like constant breakdowns of velocity joints, the doors of coaches opening out of turn, etc. In 2014, power outages were reported at a fertiliser township station, which had resulted in a power cable being burnt. In 2016, the Monorail was in the news for two separate incidents, for a tyre burst and tyre detachment after a rolling stock had developed a technical snag.
The first phase of the Monorail between Wadala and Chembur was commissioned in 2014. The second phase between Wadala and Jacob Circle will be commissioned by the end of this year, for which trial runs are ongoing.