Mumbai: The monorail phase 1 (Chembur-Wadala) was thrown open to the public in August, nearly a year after it had been shut due to a major fire incident. According to officials, the number of passengers has decreased from 19,000 per day to approximately 10,000 per day. The phase 2 of Monorail has been delayed due to financial crunch faced by the operator in getting additional rakes. It is expected to start by next year.
In a bid to fund the Phase 1, which is facing losses, the MMRDA has planned to develop the depot land in Wadala and commercialise it. “We have appointed consultants who will chart out feasibility of using the space as commercial or residential unit,” said a senior MMRDA official.
Further, the MMRDA has planned to lease out the station areas and pillars for advertisements and telecom partners in order to garner more revenue. The authorities are expecting to cover up the losses by commencing phase 2 (Wadala-Jacob Circle), since the corridor will pass through areas like Dadar and Lower Parel where more passengers can be roped in. The second phase received conditional nod from the state government in October this year.
