Mumbai: As the Ghatkopar–Andheri–Versova Metro 1 line has been witnessing massive rush during the morning and evening peak hours, a dedicated bus lane along the 4.8 km Andheri East–Saki Naka stretch is being proposed.
This report also coming amid the time when there have been news about expanding the Mumbai Metro 1 train configuration from four to six coaches.
For the dedicated bus lane, a detailed proposal was sent by Researcher Shubham Padave to Transport Economist Ashok Datar, suggesting carving out a red-painted, CCTV-monitored bus-only lane on the Andheri East–Saki Naka stretch.
Calling it a useful tactic, Ashok Datar told Mid Day, “Metro 1 suffers because it cannot expand from four to six coaches despite carrying more ridership than 2A, 7 and the Aqua Line combined."
Cost-Effective Lane
Further adding, Datar said that a painted bus lane would be cost-effective and would need no major expense. Moreover, he said, if the approval from the BMC and traffic police is done, then this could significantly benefit daily commuters.
According to a Mid Day report, as the road currently has three lanes in each direction, this would make it geometrically feasible to dedicate the left-most lane exclusively to buses and emergency vehicles.
Under the proposed plan, Phase 1 would introduce a continuous bus lane from Andheri East station to Saki Naka, while Phase 2 would extend it further to Chakala and SEEPZ Village.
What Did BEST Say On The Proposal?
Citing BEST officials, Mid Day reported that the proposal cannot be implemented by just an undertaking, as various factors need to be taken into consideration, including parking, consultation with residents, road width, overall traffic growth etc. In addition to this the officials added that decisions like these require joint meetings with BMC, traffic police among other bodies.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
