Its order to improve and enhance the public transport system and to understand the needs and expectations of commuters, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) led by commissioner Dilip Dhole has enrolled itself in the 'Transport for All Challenge' – an initiative launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
The civic body’s public transport authority has appealed to NGO's, social enterprises, academic and research institutes to come forward and lend their support in helping understand the needs of people and develop solutions to improve the public commuting and enhance mobility needs.
“Those interested can sign up on the NGO page at www.transport4all.in. Over the next few weeks, surveys will be rolled out to try and understand the problems faced by commuters and transport operators,” said deputy municipal commissioner (public transport) Ajit Muthe. Notably, the public transport sector is one of the worst hit due to the pandemic. Currently, 44 out of the 62 buses are plying on 14 routes.
An average of 23,900 commuters travel in and out of the twin-city on a daily basis. Before the lockdown was imposed in March 2020, the average number stood at around 40,000 commuters per day. The MBMC has appointed a private agency for operating its bus fleet on a Net Cost Contract (NCC) model, aimed at providing a viable and convenient public transport system.
All the Smart Cities Mission cities, capitals of states, Union Territories (UTs), and all cities with a population of over 5 lakhs—are eligible to participate for the challenge, through which the authorities will work towards resolving some of the most critical problems including overcrowding in vehicles, unaffordable fare, erratic frequency and sub-standard quality.
