Mumbai Plans Flexible Hours To Reduce Train Crowding
The Maharashtra government has launched a multi-faceted strategy aimed at comprehensive decongestion and enhanced commuter safety. Triggered by recent tragic incidents, including the death of five individuals who fell from overcrowded trains on June 9, the state has initiated a task force to examine the feasibility of staggering office hours for private sector firms. This critical move, alongside the exploration of innovative transport alternatives, signals a renewed commitment to alleviating Mumbai’s chronic commuter squeeze.
The scale of the challenge is stark. Over the past three years alone, a grim statistic of 7,565 commuters have lost their lives, with another 7,293 sustaining injuries on Mumbai’s local trains. Despite previous investments in alternative transport networks like the Metro, state authorities concede that overcrowding persists, largely due to the relentless population expansion within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This alarming human cost underscores the urgent need for a paradigm shift in urban mobility planning, moving beyond incremental adjustments to systemic reforms that prioritise human lives.
At the forefront of immediate interventions, discussions are underway with the central government regarding the installation of automatic door-closing mechanisms on local trains. This engineering solution is envisioned as a critical measure to prevent passengers from falling, directly addressing a primary cause of fatalities. Importantly, authorities have indicated that despite these significant safety upgrades, commuter fares are intended to remain unchanged. Parallelly, drawing from the experience of already relaxed timings for government offices, the newly constituted task force, comprising officials from the state, railways, and private sector representatives, will meticulously study the practicality of implementing similar staggered work hours within Mumbai’s private corporate landscape to ease peak-hour strain.
Beyond direct rail improvements, the government is exploring a diversified portfolio of sustainable transport solutions for the MMR, aligning with the broader agenda of fostering zero net carbon and eco-friendly cities. These include expanding water transport networks, introducing bike taxis, and deploying innovative systems like pod taxis and ropeways. Pod taxis, as automated, driverless electric vehicles operating on elevated tracks, offer a promise of last-mile connectivity with reduced urban emissions. Land has already been allocated for a pod taxi project in Bandra-Kurla Complex, with plans to extend such networks to Mira-Bhayander, Thane, and Navi Mumbai. These multimodal approaches are crucial for building integrated, gender-neutral, and equitable urban landscapes by providing varied and accessible commute choices for all citizens.
Adding a profoundly human dimension to the crisis, data reveals that almost one-third of the thousands who have died on Mumbai’s tracks over the past 15 years remain unidentified, a devastating reality for countless families. Challenges in identification, such as severe disfigurement and missing personal effects, compound the tragedy. While past initiatives like the ‘Shodh’ website and station image campaigns aimed to assist identification, their discontinuation highlights an ongoing systemic gap. Authorities typically hold unidentified bodies for a limited period, but the sheer volume and the emotional toll on grieving families necessitate a more robust and compassionate framework for victim identification and support. Ultimately, while significant infrastructure investments are being made, the path to achieving zero fatalities on Mumbai’s lifeline remains a complex challenge, demanding sustained commitment and innovation.