Dear Mr. Datar,
Sure, the riders using BEST for the East West daily travel in Mumbai would benefit, but the issue is what % of the car users would switch to the metro.
Also, we in Pune are eager to know about the planning process followed. What was the key rationale behind the East West metro corridor - to support continued growth or to de-congest existing corridors or both? Have there been any surveys and/or projections post metro, in this regard that are publicly available?
E.g. Is there any data on the modal split today (and a projection post metro) along the major East West arterial roads - Andheri Kurla Road and Jogeshwari-Vikhroli link road that was supposed to take load off it? Would like to know the statistics for auto/taxi and heavy vehicles too, if available (the latter would be unaffected by metro I guess).
One more incidental question (since you are well versed with Mumbai's traffic issues) - I believe that an East West flyover over Kurla-Santacruz has been on the drawing board for many years. I believe this is one flyover that could ease the perennial road congestion between Chembur-Sion-Mahim stretch considerably. Do you have any update on this, if so could you pls. share it. (I don't hate flyovers as much as some others on this list do, since I have experienced firsthand how Mumbai would have been brought to the knees without them, years ago.)
p.s. Though I live in Pune now, have been a longtime East West traveler in Mumbai over several years in the past - I have experienced almost all possible modes of travel:- train (via Dadar), BEST, company bus, motorcycle, car and auto/taxi (even used a bicycle twice a year to/from IIT while I was studying there!!).
best regards,
Anil Risbud
Pune