Mumbai: Five days after Phase 2 (Jacob Circle-Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk-Wadala Depot) of the monorail has been opened to the public, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has issued a public notice, warning people about the monorail guideway beams having 750 high volts of power coursing through them at all times. This high voltage could prove fatal to any person who comes close to or brings any metallic object in contact with these beams.
MMRDA has asked the public to be careful especially at times like Ganeshotsav and warned against using the guideways to sling dahi handis during Janmashtami. Moreover, the authority has also informed drivers of vehicles or cranes over 5.5 metres in height to refrain from raising their booms as this could pose hurdles to safety of the monorail.
MMRDA sources said, “The notice has been issued as Phase-2 alignment is crucial and is densely populated. During festivals, Parel is crowded and therefore, to avoid any untoward mishaps, people have been warned. This new monorail alignment is more challenging.”
On Monday, the entire 19.54-kilometre monorail route was made operational. With commencement of Phase 2, ridership has increased with daily revenues crossing over Rs 5 lakh. However, Phase 1, the 8.8km Chembur-Wadala route, operational since 2014, had been struggling for ridership, barely attracting 10,000 passengers daily so far.
