Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) requires a monorail

Everytime I go to the Bandra - Kurla Complex (BKC), a business district in the middle of Mumbai, I feel blessed. I am thankful to my employers for now having chosen a place like BKC for our office. I think for those of us who use public transport, it's a curse to have an office at BKC. During peak hours, it is near impossible to find a rickshaw or a bus, in minutes. The buses that come from Kurla (and going towards Bandra station) are so crowded that they don't stop. Demand for rickshaws far outstrip their supply. And to make matters worse, the traffic snarls at Kalanagar make it worse. Only people with cars are better off working at BKC.  

Unfortunately, our state planning authorities have never really invested in public infrastructure. Nor do they understand the basics. Take for instance, the monorail and metro, what's the difference between the two and where we need them. At present, monorail at Mumbai goes from Chembur to Wadala. If you see its route, you'll realise that it goes in the middle of nowhere! I really wonder how many people use it for their daily use. 

Ideally, a monorail is required for a shorter route and where there is dense population. Preferably office-goers who the monorail can ferry to the nearest train station. Like BKC. Surprisingly, the monorail has plans to go all the way to Jacob's circle (Saat Raasta, near Mahalaxmi station). For such a route, a metro is more useful since it covers a longer distance. 

A monorail is an idea solution to BKC office goers as such a route from BKC to Bandra and Kurla train stations. Such a mode of transport will cut the road traffic in a jiffy, solve public transport woes that many office goers there face in present times and is also environment friendly. A BKC monorail will also serve people to move around with BKC area. Ideally, the BKC monorail should also involve the Kalina - Santacruz office area (where Kotak, Centrum offices and Windsor buildings are located) to make that office area  interconnectible. Property prices would likely zoom up in that area if public transport is eased up. 

There is still space of construct a BKC Monorail at the moment. But the opportunity is slowly slipping by as the vacant land is slowly being bought by companies to build their offices there. Once the space is gone, all we'd be left with, would be heavy traffic and terrible traffic woes. 

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