Mumbai continues to be a fascinating city, in comparison to other metros in the country. The uniqueness of Mumbai is perhaps in its linearity, and the frenetic pace of life, where one seems to be catching up with some form of transport to reach a destination.
The linearity of the city is evident when one looks at a suburban train map pasted above the door of the local train. Typically, two parallel lines – one the Western Railway – from Churchgate to Virar, and the other the Central line – from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Karjat and Khopoli. This line gets slightly dense as it moves away at Kurla, demarcating the harbour line that once ended at Mankhurd and got extended to Panvel.
The suburban railway line that runs south-north, demarcates every station into east and west, and the farthest locality from the station being about 5 – 7 kms away. The interesting thing being that coast to coast, the width would be about 10 – 12 km throughout, and this would broaden once the train crosses the suburbs, and get even wider as one moves on to the exurbs. For routine travellers, bus, share an auto or taxi were the means to reach the station.
I remember buying a suburban railway timetable, and a Bombay Guide that was essential in every house before as it provided details of the BEST bus routes, its origins and the stops along the journey, before reaching the destination. This was necessary if you had to reach a locality far from the station, one had to be familiar with the bus number and the route it would take.
But for the not so regular traveller, one had to go through the Bombay Guide. Currently the Mumbai Metro Line 1, Line 7 and Line 2A are fully operational. With many more lines under construction, things would only get better for the residents, as access to a nearest station – railway or metro - would facilitate their daily commute.
I have seen the metro maps separately and have not superimposed it on the suburban train map to look at the shape it would take. Initially, I could visualise a parallelogram, a rhombus, or a trapezium, or some irregular shape, that resembles a set of scribbled lines in a planned manner, but something that will make things in Mumbai regular – ease of travel, and your residence just reasonable distance away from a station – metro or railway.
While the existing metro line development is in the exurbs and suburbs, the entire network will not only cover but effectively connect most areas of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) internally and also provide options of access to Mumbai city.
So, what’s close to your new home? A metro station or a suburban railway station? How far are you from the highway? These will always be the usual questions when one is buying a home. Whether it's the first or fifth, such things play an important factor in the decision-making process.
While most homebuyers are upbeat and realise this is the best time to buy, developers are looking to launch new projects to monetise their land banks. Is it the right time that they start featuring the location – to a suburban station, metro station or highway, more prominently in their communication?
In retail, they always say the three things necessary for success are location, location and location, and so is the case with residences. Do give access to public transport a thought while selecting your new home – for those who only travel by road need some bread at times when they are in a jam!
(The writer is a Trend Science, Communication & Marketing Consultant)
