Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has identified nine stations on Metro line 7 (Andheri East to Dahisar East) for the construction of a Foot Over Bridge (FoBs) on each of them. The identified stations are Gundavali, Goregaon, Aarey, Dindoshi, Akurli, Poisar, Devipada, Rashtriya Udyan and Ovaripada. The total length of these FoBs will be about 4,248 metres and the estimated total project cost is pegged at Rs 234 crore.
A senior MMRDA official said, "We will be providing connectivity on the lines of that in foreign countries. Like, for instance, if there is connectivity in the form of FOB from a particular building or commercial establishment, people will not have to come on the road to reach the nearest metro station. They can take the FOB and reach the concourse area, avoiding the main road."
Moreover, it will also help in averting road mishaps. According to the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) Mumbai road safety annual report 2018, 51 per cent of the victims who died in road accidents were pedestrians.
Reportedly, the MMRDA had already invited private developers for the construction of FOBs. It has also formulated a policy asking interested agencies to submit a plan in January 2020 wherein the developer has to bear the cost of construction, while MMRDA will have the right to exploit the commercial potential of these connectivities and retain the revenue earnings.
The authority aims to begin the Metro line 7 by the year end and will receive the first 'Made in India' rake by July. The MMRDA official informed that the manufacturer Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) has already started the assembling process of the first rake to be delivered. Since this metro line is expected to start this year, the authority has also sent a total of 42 newly recruited candidates for training purpose in Hyderabad. Interestingly, of the 42 candidates, 18 are women. The official stated that the training will be held in two batches and Keolis, a multinational transportation company and a subsidiary of SNCF France, has been training them.
