The Maharashtra government is taking a major step to enhance urban mobility across the Mumbai Metropolitan region (MMR). They are forming a Task Force to develop an Integrated Bus Transportation System. This system will aim at unifying the currently fragmented municipal bus services into a seamless, single network. The Task Force comprises commissioners from all municipal corporations within the MMR. According to the notification dated June 10, issued by the government, this Task Force will be chaired by the General Manager of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST). The member secretary of this force will be the Head of Communication and Transport at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The government is taking these measures in the wake of a recent train accident that happened near Mumbra railway station, leading to the death of 4 and leaving 9 injured.
Many high-ranking officials like the Commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation, the Additional Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the Additional Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, and the commissioners from the Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar, and Panvel municipal corporations will be members of this Task Force and look into the function of the team.
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This government project is part of a broader vision that is linked with the central government’s Growth Hub work proposed by NITI Aayog. Under this initiative, a few urban areas are being developed as ‘Growth Hubs.’ The government’s goal is to establish economic growth corridors in deserted regions. As per the June 10 notification, the MMR region is selected as a pilot site for this plan. The government is fast-tracking the project and is working on a comprehensive roadmap for the MMR. This roadmap will mainly focus on growth enablers like better infrastructure, mobilization of foreign direct investment, conservation of designated zones, startup support, and creation of more job opportunities.
An official associated with the initiative said that in addition to improving passenger convenience throughout MMR, this integrated transport initiative is anticipated to lower traffic, boost last-mile connectivity, and increase public transportation's overall effectiveness in one of India's most densely populated cities.