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“Study of traffic Problems & solutions in Mumbai City”

Technical Report · February 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.23730.02243

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 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

This is certified that this project report on “Study of traffic

Problems & solutions in Mumbai City” has been prepared by Ganesh R.
Pawar, Senior technician member of institution’s section-B civil
engineering in partial fulfillment of degree in civil engineering of The
Institution of Engineers (India), Kolkata, under my guidance and
supervision. The work incorporated in this project work has not been
submitted to this or any other institution for the award of degree. The
author has been working in Traffic & Coordination department of MCGM
as a Sub engineer since past 3 years and has acquired thorough experience
in various aspects of Traffic related issues.

I approve this project report.

Date:

( Shri. Vivek Abhyankar )

Project guide

The Institution of Engineers (India)

1|Page
 GUIDES COMMENTS

The candidate Mr. Ganesh R. Pawar (ST 322739-7) is presently working

in a MCGM for last eight years. From last three years he has been working in
traffic & coordination department. Based on this he has selected the project i.e.
“ Study of traffic Problems & solutions in Mumbai City”. The Candidate has
taken necessary permission from his seniors to refer / reproduce certain part of
the data.

I have verified the data presented to me to a best possible extent. The

Conclusions drawn at the end of the project are based on the data available. The
author has also tried to present the future scope of this study. I have thoroughly
checked and approved the conclusions and the future scope. The evaluation of the
project (the mark given to the candidate) is based on the correctness of the data,
interpretation of the data, sincerity of the candidate and the presentation of the
data.

(Guide) Director

V. G. Abhyankar (EEA) -- (IEI)

M-140491-6

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 ACKNOWLEGEMENT

The author herewith take an opportunity to say thanks to Project Guide Shri
Vivek Abhyankar Sir for his valuable guidance for this project.

The author is also obliged to all seniors of Traffic & Coordination

department of MCGM to allow him to use the data for the Project presented here.

The author is also thankful to the The Institution of Engineers (India),

Kolkata for giving me opportunity to acquire graduation (AMIE) through
distance education.

SYNOPSIS

3|Page
1. Title of Project – Study of Traffic Problems & solutions in Mumbai
City
2. Objectives of study - To find out the problems; to determine root causes
behind problems & possible solutions to traffic problems in Mumbai City.
3. Rationale of the study – As we are experiencing traffic congestion in day
to day life. This affects our valuable time, health, fuel consumption & also
overall economy of the country. It is important for safe, efficient &
comfortable movement of traffic & other road user is also ensured on these
roads. This need has given birth to the study of this topic.
4. Detailed methodology to be used for carrying out the study –
a. List down various problems related to traffic and associated
risks/hazards.
b. To find out the reasons for traffic problems.
c. Its negative effect to our health, time & overall economy of the country.
d. Initiatives taken by government, MCGM & other government agencies
to tackle the problems of traffic.
e. Innovative solutions and practices in other nations.
5. The expected contribution from the study – This study will come out
with some possible solutions to minimize the traffic problems.
6. List of activities to be carried out to complete the project(with the help
of bar chart showing the time schedule) –
a. To meet the project guide.
b. To finalize the title of the project.
c. Meeting with concerned people in MCGM, Traffic Police, MMRDA
etc. to collect the required information regarding project.
d. To prepare the detailed project.

7. Places/Labs/ equipment & tools required & planning of arrangements

–

4|Page
 a. Project basically throws light on problems and solutions to traffic
problems of Mumbai city.
b. MCGM uses Transportable Infra-Red Traffic Logger (TIRTL)
System for traffic count.
c. MCGM has installed Traffic Signals, CCTV Cameras, Vehicle
Detection Cameras to control the flow of traffic.
d. Author met concerned people of MCGM, Traffic Police, MMRDA etc.
; referred Development Control Regulation (DCR), MMC Act, news
papers; visited various sites of pay and park, public-private parking lots
(PPL), various congested junctions etc.; studied various mechanical
parking systems like stack, puzzle, tower, rotary, cantilever etc.
8. Problems envisaged in carrying out the project, if any.
Nil.

INDEX

Sr.No. Description Page No.

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 1 Title of the Project 7

2 Brief history of Mumbai 7

3 Present status of Mumbai 7

4 Types of local transport in Mumbai 8

5 Traffic Problems in Mumbai 8

6 Root Causes of Traffic Problems in 9-14

Mumbai
7 Negative effects of Traffic Problems in 14-16
Mumbai
8 Solutions to Traffic Problems in Mumbai 16-21

Measures taken by various Government

9 21-35
Agencies

10 Example of Singapore 35-37

11 Conclusion 38-39

12 Scope of future study 39

13 References 39

1.0 Title of Project –

Study of Traffic Problems & solutions in Mumbai City

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2.0 Brief history of Mumbai -
The city of Mumbai originally consisted of seven islands, namely colaba,
Mazgaon, old woman’s island, wadala, mahim, parel & matunga-sion. These
groups of islands,which have been joined together by a series of reclamation.

3.0 Present status of Mumbai -

Mumbai is the capital city of Maharashtra state. It is the most crowded city
in India and the ninth most crowded city in the world, with an estimated city
population of 18.4 million. Along with the neighboring regions of the
Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it is one of the most crowded urban regions in
the world and the second most crowded metropolitan area in India, with a
population of 20.7 million as of 2011. It is also the wealthiest city in India
and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West, or Central Asia. Mumbai
is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India. It is also one
of the world's top ten centers of commerce in terms of global financial flow,
generating 6.16% of India's GDP and accounting for 25% of industrial output,
70% of maritime trade in India (Mumbai Port Trust and JNPT) and 70% of
capital transactions to India's economy. The city houses important financial
institutions and the corporate headquarters of numerous Indian companies
and multinational corporations. It is also home to some of India's premier
scientific and nuclear institutes like BARC, NPCL, IREL, TIFR, AERB,
AECI, and the Department of Atomic Energy. The city also houses India's
Hindi (Bollywood) and Marathi film and television industry.

Mumbai consists of two distinct regions: Mumbai City district and Mumbai
Suburban district. The city district region is also commonly referred to as the
Island City or South Mumbai. The total area of Mumbai is 603.4 km2; of this,
the island city spans 67.79 km2, while the suburban district spans 370 km2,

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 together accounting for 437.71 km2 under the administration of Municipal
Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). The remaining areas belong to
various establishments like the Mumbai Port Trust, the Atomic Energy
Commission, MMRDA, PWD, Railways etc. and the Borivali National Park,
which is in the jurisdiction of the Forest Department.

4.0 Types of local transport in Mumbai -

Road Transport – BEST buses, taxis, auto rickshaw, two wheelers, four
wheelers etc.

Rail Transport – Local trains, Metro Railways, Mono Railways etc.

5.0 Traffic Problems in Mumbai -

For some years now, the city has been witnessing a sharp increase in the
number of vehicles. That, in turn, has not only led to traffic jams, delay,
accidents, noise pollution etc. throughout the day, but also rise in particulate
matter.

Traffic has been a crucial part of every Mumbaikar. Spending 2 hours in

traffic per day is quite normal for daily commuters, that’s like 44 hours per
month (considering 22 working days) ,which means 2 days per month spent
in traffic.

The vehicle density in Mumbai is increased by over 16 per cent from 2014
till today. The total number of registered vehicles in the city now stands at
25.46 lakhs. Of these, 8.19 vehicles are cars. Taking the average length of a
vehicle to be 4m, if all the cars in Mumbai were to be lined up back to back,
they would cover 3,300 km (approximately). The total road network in
Mumbai is less than 2,000 km. This is why Mumbai resembles a traffic lot
during rush hour.

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 Experts blamed that illegal parking space on roads & its easy availability
is the reason for the rise in number of cars & two wheelers in Mumbai. “In
foreign countries, the parking charges are so high (more than per liter cost of
petrol or diesel) that people refrain from unnecessarily taking the vehicle out.
This is not the case in Mumbai. We find double vehicle parking on roads
which reduces carriageway.
In past ten years, Mumbai on an average has registered over one lakh
vehicles every year. The city has limited scope to grow. If such high numbers
of vehicles continue to come on roads, the traffic situation will worsen even
if government creates coastal roads or flyovers or parking slots etc.
6.0 Root Causes of Traffic Problems in Mumbai-

• Increasing Population - Current Population of Mumbai, the lifeline of

Maharashtra is estimated to be over 22 million people. The city ranks at
number 6 spot in terms of most populated cities in the world. Mumbai's
business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of
living attract migrants from all over India.

• Affordability limits - Mumbai has witnessed an economic boom since the

liberalization of 1991, the finance boom in the mid-nineties and the IT,
export, services and outsourcing boom in 2000s. Many of India's numerous
conglomerates (including Larsen and Toubro, State Bank of India (SBI),
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), Tata Group, Godrej and
Reliance), and five of the Fortune Global 500 companies are based in
Mumbai. This is facilitated by the presence of the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange
of India (NSE), and financial sector regulators such as the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Due to result of this purchasing power of
middle class has increased.

9|Page
• Significant increase in private vehicles – The number of vehicles in
Mumbai has crossed 25 lakh, with most of them being registered in the past
decade. According to data from regional transport offices (RTO), a total of
25,02,673 vehicles have been registered at all three centre — Tardeo,
Andheri, Wadala till March 31, 2015. This includes 7.57 lakh vehicles in
the island city, 11.71 lakh in the western suburbs and 5.73 lakh in the
eastern suburbs. While 14.30 lakh two-wheelers were registered, 8 lakh
were cars. And public transport in the city, the number of BEST buses,
taxis and autorickshaws registered stood at just 1.86 lakh. This data reveals
Significant increase in private vehicles.

Fig. 1.1 showing traffic at junction

• Concentration of Government & Private offices in Southern Mumbai

- South Mumbai hosts the many government offices like Mantralaya,

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 Income tax, Sales tax, MCGM, Reserve Bank of India and the Bombay
Stock Exchange etc. Its primary business districts are the Fort, Nariman
Point, Ballard Estate and more recently Lower Parel. Many leading Indian
and multi-national companies are headquartered here. Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus (CST) and Churchgate serve as headquarters and starting point
for country's Central and Western Railway lines respectively.
• Easy loan facility available for purchase of cars - All the banks offer car
loans at affordable rate of interest. Also to own a car has become a status
symbol.
• Illegal Parking on Roads - Due to shortage of Parking spaces, people tend
to park vehicles on roads occupying large portion of road space required
for movement of traffic causing inconvenience to vehicular flow &
reducing the road capacity.
• Narrow Roads & Poor Condition of Roads – Due to encroachments,
bottlenecks have been created which reduces the width of the roads also
Poor condition of roads like potholes, uneven settlements effects the flow
of traffic. Earlier, MCGM filled potholes using hot-mix technologies which
included the use of hot asphalt and hot-sprayed bitumen with stone chips.
But the civic body subsequently changed to the cold-mix technology that
is supposed to be a quicker, efficient method that is apparently resistant to
wear-and-tear for a longer period. At present, the civic body uses three
cold-mix technologies-Wonder Patch, Patch Master and Road Bond-to
repair craters. All the three technologies are cold mixes which are claimed
to be effectively pothole filling solutions in the monsoons. Under the
technology, a bitumen-based material is used to fill potholes, which can be
work upon even if they contain water in them. The material dries faster
than earlier as a result of which traffic doesn't have to be held up for too
long.

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 Fig. 1.2- showing potholes on Mahapalika Marg at CST station in rainy season

• Illegal Hawkers on Roads - Hawkers have encroached various footpaths

& roads in Mumbai city which causes pedestrians to walk on roads & also
reduce the road capacity.
• Lack of Traffic Discipline – There is a huge increase in the number of
vehicles and the road area is the same. And since everybody is in a hurry,
breaking of traffic rules like lane cutting, driving at excessive speed, drink
& drive, overtaking etc. is common which increases road mishaps.
• Poor drainage System of rain water – In rainy seasons, road as well as
rail traffic slows down during heavy rains due to water logging on roads &
railway tracks.
• Road diversions / under constructions – Many roads are being improved
in Mumbai. They are either closed entirely or certain lanes are closed for
traffic movement. In this case commuters have to take diversions which
lead to delays. Also various utilities like reliance, Mahanagar Gas,
12 | P a g e
 Telephone, Airtel, Vodaphone etc. dig the roads frequently to lay cables
which affects smooth flow of traffic.
7.0 Negative Effects of Traffic Problems -
• Health –
Number of new vehicles hitting the road rising sharply in city over past 10
years has led to a rise in harmful pollutants in the air leading to increase in
PM10 & PM2.5 levels. PM10 is particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in
diameter. PM2.5 is particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter.
PM2.5 is generally described as fine particles. By way of comparison, a human
hair is about 100 micrometers, so roughly 40 fine particles could be placed
on its width. Particles in this size range make up a large proportion of dust.
The air quality index in two of the three junctions where it is officially
monitored has reached “unhealthy” levels.

PARTICULATE MATTER WADALA ANDHERI

PM10 194 > 100 190 > 100

PM2.5 56 < 60 80 > 60

Above table explains, in Wadala, levels of PM10 have reached 194 & in
Andheri, 190. The acceptable limit is 100. PM2.5 levels are 56 in Wadala & 80 in
Andheri. The permissible limit is 60. Both PM10 & PM2.5 are harmful as they enter
the airway & then the lungs. PM2.5 can enter the lungs (due to its smaller size) by
avoiding the body’s defense mechanism & get embedded there. This can lead to
severe respiratory problems, emphysema & even lung cancer.
• Delays & loss of valuable time-
The first thing many people think of when it comes to congested roadways
is the delay. During the morning commute there is additional fatigue stress
because delays caused by traffic can make people late for work. And at the
end of the day, the evening rush hour is again a frustrating time because the
13 | P a g e
workday is done and people want to get home to relax, and traffic is
preventing it. These delays are the effects most people feel because they are
universal to everyone who has to maneuver through congested roads.
• Fuel Consumption And Pollution
The stopping and starting in traffic jams burns fuel at a higher rate than the
smooth rate of travel on the open highway. This increase in fuel consumption
costs commuters additional money for fuel and it also contributes to the
amount of emissions released by the vehicles. These emissions create air
pollution and are related to global warming.
• Economic Impact
Drivers who encounter unexpected traffic may be late for work or other
appointments, causing a loss in productivity for businesses and in the drivers'
personal lives. Traffic delays may also slow down the shipping of cargo if
delivery trucks can't remain on schedule due to a congested route. Drivers
who know that traffic congestion is likely may decide to forgo an activity
altogether, leading to less consumer spending and lower event attendance.
• Road Rage
Drivers who become impatient may be more likely to drive aggressively or
dangerously. This contributes to poor health for those affected by the stress
and puts other drivers in danger. Road rage also increases the danger posed
to emergency workers or construction crew members who are working on the
congested road close to dangerous drivers.

• Noise - Noise is unwanted sound. Traffic congestion has contributed to the

mounting volume of noise, intruding upon the quiet life & privacy of the
people.
• Accidents - The country’s financial capital, Mumbai has earned the
dubious distinction of being the nation’s death capital as well, with the
highest number of accident deaths.

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 • Other Effects –
− Inability to forecast travel time accurately, leading to drivers
allocating more time to travel and less time on productive activities.
− Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent
acceleration and braking, leading to more frequent repairs and
replacements.
− Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of
emergency vehicles traveling to their destinations where they are
urgently needed.
− Spillover effect from congested main arteries to secondary roads and
side streets as alternative routes are attempted, which may affect
neighborhood amenity.
− Higher chance of collisions due to tight spacing and constant
stopping-and-going.

8.0 Solutions to Traffic Problems in Mumbai-

8.1 Short Term Measures

• Well designed junctions & optimized signal timings.
• Encroachment free footpath.
• Ensuring road safety by providing street furniture like signage,
Thermoplastic paint & markings, dividers, reflective studs of international
standards.
• Safe & well designed pedestrian crossings.
• Provision of bus shelter with reliable passenger information system.
• Urban traffic control system like traffic signals, vehicles actuated signals
etc.
• Pedestrian subways, Flyovers, ROBs, skywalks etc.

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 • Intelligent transport system like various message boards, Incident/accident
management systems.
• Parking Restrictions.
• Providing missing links – Government has taken initiative in linking
Western suburbs & Eastern Suburbs by constructing Roads like Jogeshwari
- Vikroli Link road (JVLR), Santacruz - chembur Link Road (SCLR).
Goregaon - Mulund Link Road (GMLR) is also in process.
• Odd Even number cars (Like Delhi city).
Short term traffic engineering & management measures are less expensive
& provide immediate relief to traffic combined with efficient enforcement.
These measures would enhance the available system capacity in an efficient
manner.

8.2 Long Term Measures – Following Long term measures would be helpful
to control the city traffic problems :-
• Augmentation/strengthening of public transport system
− Improvement of existing public transportation network
− New Mass Transport System
− Promoting dedicated bus corridor
− Development of alternate modes i.e. water transport etc.

• Development of critical transport infrastructure projects

− Development of North-South & East-West arterial roads & missing
links
− Development of Truck terminals & Truck Parking lots
− Development of freeways & connecting with hinterlands
• Pedestrian Safety improvement measures
− Exclusive right of way to pedestrians
− Pedestrians grade separators
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 − Station Area Traffic improvement scheme (SATIS)
• Policy & pricing interventions
− Integrated land use & transport planning
− Traffic planning & management measures
− Non Motorized transport
− Systematic control of use of private vehicles by providing attractive mass
transport system
− Parking policy; development of off street parking; multi storied
mechanical parking.

8.3 Policy Measures-

Authorities need to address various policy measures that will contain the
demand & also ensure efficient mechanism & network for disaster
management.

8.4 Parking Control Policy –

Land is valuable in all urban areas. Parking on roads occupy large portion
of road space required for movement of traffic causing inconvenience to
vehicular flow & reducing the road capacity.
As a policy measure on-street parking shall not be allowed on all major
roads. With respect to off street parking, the present Development Control
Regulation (DCR) requires minimum levels of parking provision. These need
to be amended.
All stations need to be provided with adequate parking spaces for public as
well as private transport vehicle.

Options such as differential parking charges during different periods of the

day would function as demand management measure.

8.5 Bus & Railway Transport priority measures –

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 Mumbai has uniqueness of high dependency on public transport system
including suburban rail services & Best buses. Adequate measures should be
taken for proper maintenance & improvement of the same. In this context,
BEST & World Bank has shown interest in providing dedicated bus lanes on
important North- South & East–West arterials in the city. Following arterials
have been considered on pilot basis to introduce dedicated bus corridors.
• Jogeshwari-Vikroli Link Road (JVLR)
• Western Express Highway
• Eastern Express Highway
• Santacruz-Chembur Link road (SCLR)
• Mumbai Trans Harbour Line (Proposed)
Based on the success of pilot exercise, such kind of measures need to be
extended to other parts of city

8.6 Institutional Set up (UMTA) –

Currently the region’s traffic & transportation is managed by different
agencies in a fragmented approach. Though the ultimate aim is to provide
improved level of service, there is no coherent integrated approach in
providing the transportation services. Further the necessary investment in
transport sector is not forthcoming due to financial constraints of respective
organizations.
In this context, recommendation in the National Urban Transport Policy on
the formation of Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to
facilitate integrated planning & implementation of transport project is a well
step. The intention is to redefine funding, implementation, integration &
monitoring mechanism.

8.7 Use of Technology-

Use of Information Technology (IT) & intelligent transportation system
(ITS) applications can greatly help in realizing the goal of UMTA. Issues like
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 Toll Management & fare integration can be solved easily using electronic
ticketing & smart card techniques. Also using the combination of
Geographical information system (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) &
other ITS techniques, a good Traveler information system (TIS) can be
developed, which can give information to commuters about all public
transport modes, their routes & schedules, the best route plan for a given
origin & destination, the concerned fare & other related information. Such
information can be provided at transit stations, stops & also through internet.

8.8 Disaster Management System -

Presently city lacks any comprehensive disaster management & evacuation
mechanism. This has been proved in disaster of floods on 26th July 2005 due
to unprecedented rainfall combined with high tide brought the city to halt for
almost two days. For any such eventualities, a disaster management including
evacuation system should be well developed. For this purpose, in terms of
transport infrastructure, efficient & access control freeway system with
proper interchange facilities at different locations surrounding the city like
western freeway, eastern freeway, Mumbai Trans harbour link & similar
multimodal road & rail corridor shall be considered on priority.

8.9 Action plan for parking infrastructure –

Provision for parking is being looked into by MCGM. The strategy for
developing parking facility is as follows –
• To develop reserve areas through acquisition or through Transferable
Development Rights (TDR)
• Explore the framework of accommodation Reservation for getting such
facilities private sector.
• Requirements for parking are expected to rise & there would be greater
need to impose requirements as a part of building permission to include
provisions for parking.

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 Odd – Even rule which is implemented in the state of Delhi - Odd-even
rule imposed by the Delhi government to control vehicular pollution for a trial
phase of 15 days as a measure to take a swipe at rising air pollution levels and
smog in the national capital.
According to the rule, cars with even-numbered registration plates will ply
on even dates while those with odd license plates will ply on odd dates. Two-
wheelers, cars driven by women, cars with differently-abled persons and
those of VIP, VVIP such as PM, President, Chief Justice, CJI and CMs of
states and union territories were exempted by the rule. It led to drastic
reduction of PM 2.5 levels in the interior areas of Delhi. Hon’ble High Court
have instructed the government of Maharashtra to adopt the same in Mumbai
City for trial basis.

9.0 Measures is being taken by various Government agencies to manage the

traffic-
9.1 Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) -
MCGM is the Planning Authority of Mumbai city & suburbs. There is
exclusive department named as ‘Traffic Planning & Co-ordination’ in
MCGM. The role of the department is to prescribe Regular Line (RL) to
narrow roads for widening purposes; to take traffic counts; providing signals
& cameras at junctions and traffic safety measures. Earlier for widening
purposes traffic count was taken manually by enumerators but now it is taken
by using the system named as TIRTL (Transportable Infra-Red Traffic
Logger) which is a non-intrusive traffic surveillance system.
• What TIRTL does?
− Counts vehicles
− Determines speed of passing vehicles
− Determines the lane vehicles are travelling in

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 − Classifies vehicles (motorcycle, cars, trailers, trucks, etc.)
− Determines vehicle direction of travel
9.2 TIRTL Operation –
• A TIRTL installation consists of Transmitter (Tx) and Receiver (Rx) pair
located on opposite sides of the roadway.
• Two beams are emitted from the Transmitter (one from each “eye”).
• Beams spread as a function of distance (+/-2 degrees from receiver)
• Each “eye” of Receiver clearly sees both beams of transmitter.
• Each infra-red beam modulated at a different frequency which (in effect)
produce four beam paths - two parallel beams and two cross beams
• The Receiver detects these four infra-red beams interrupted by the wheels
of passing vehicles, and uses the intelligent software to analyse the timings
of the light path interruptions to calculate speed, determine vehicle
classifications, etc.

Fig 9.2.(1) showing TIRTL operation

21 | P a g e
 Fig 9.2.(2) showing TIRTL transmitter.

Fig 9.2.(3) showing TIRTL Receiver.

There is also MCGM Control Room for the Area Traffic Control.

• Area Traffic Control System is a system that provides traffic status

reporting, control of the operating mode and automatic detection of traffic
congestion and street equipment alarms.
• The Area Traffic Control System provides different possibilities in the
control of the operating mode of its traffic equipment. Modes can be
installed separately. Functionalities associated to the some mode can be
disabled in a traffic installation.
• The Control Centre communicates with the traffic equipment, using a main
computer located in the Control Centre. The system receives data on the
equipment status, the signal plans in operation and the detected traffic
situation.

22 | P a g e
 Fig 9.2.(4) showing MCGM Control Room Screen

MCGM has provided around 97 Pay & Park sites on streets all over
Mumbai for parking purposes.

9.3 Comprehensive Parking Policy is also prepared by MCGM which is

applicable for off- street parking lots as well as on street pay & park scheme
so as to enable more effective parking and release the road space for traffic
movement. Three nos. of categories are proposed as A, B & C; category ‘A’
is classified where parking rates could be highest i.e. most frequented and
’C’ category is classified as down market area largely visited by middle /
lower middle class i.e. less frequented and other area between these two
categories as ‘B’. This policy has been approved in MCGM & forwarded to
Urban Development (U.D.) department for approval.

9.4 Residential Parking Permit (RPP) - This has been included in

Comprehensive Parking Policy. The street can be put to use for disciplined
parking i.e. only residents of applicant society will be allowed to park vehicles
& even such parking may be manned by watchman of society abutting the
road. Also this will force the other vehicles to find the parking facility in
nearby vicinity.

23 | P a g e
9.5 Traffic Police - Traffic Police have their own control centre in police
headquarters, it allows officers to monitor traffic flows at key junctions via a
network of cameras and sensors and adjust signals when necessary to help
prevent snarl-ups. Pushing a button in the control centre can make a traffic
light at a distant junction turn from red to green or vice versa (refer fig. no.
9.5).

Fig 9.5 showing Timer Signals provided at junctions

9.6 Clauses related to Parking in Development Control Regulation (DCR)

9.6.1 Clause No. 36 - Parking Spaces

Whenever a property is developed or redeveloped, parking spaces at the
scale laid down in these regulations shall be provided by the developer.
For Example - For Suburbs
One Parking space for every –

24 | P a g e
(a) 4 tenements having carpet area above 35 sq.mt.
(b) 2 tenements having carpet area exceeding 45 sq.mt. but not exceeding 70
sq.mt. each.
(c) 1 tenement with carpet area exceeding 70 sq.mt.
In addition to these, parking spaces for visitors parking shall be provided
to the extent of 25 percent.
Due to space constraints, builders have started providing mechanized
parking systems like stack parking, Rotary parking, puzzle parking, chess
parking etc. in building. Advantage of these systems is that more numbers of
cars are accommodated in less area the only disadvantage is its higher
installation charges & maintenance (refer fig. no 9.6 (a) & (b) below).

Fig 9.6.(a) showing Stack Parking System.

25 | P a g e
 Fig 9.6.(b) showing Multi Level Car Parking System

9.6.2 Clause No. 33(24) Development of multistoried/parking lots –

With previous approval of Government, for development of multi-
storied/parking lots on any plot abutting the roads and/or stretches of road,
additional FSI, as specified below on built up parking area created handed
over to MCGM free of cost, shall be allowed on the land belonging to the
private owners, which is not reserved for any public purposes.
The minimum area of plot shall be 1000 sq. mt. in Island City & 2000 sq.
mt. in suburb. The minimum number of Motor Vehicle public parking spaces
provided shall not be less than 50 subject to minimum parking space of 700
sq. mt. The location of parking space can be basement, ground floor or upper
floors, with access through ramps/lift or combination of both.
A Committee under the Chairmanship of Municipal Commissioner,
MCGM should earmark/select plots for public parking & seek government
approval for it. The Committee will comprise of 1) Joint Commissioner of
Police (Traffic) or it’s representative, 2) Metropolitan Commissioner,
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority or it’s representative
3) Deputy Director of Town Planning 4) Chief Engineer (Road), MCGM
(Member Secretary).

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Total maximum permissible FSI including additional FSI
1. Island City = 4.00
2. Surburbs = 3.00
Till now, 59 proposals have been passed by MCGM under DCR 33 (24).
MCGM has also decided to spend 2300 crore for building new roads in
Mumbai in the year 2016-17. More focus will be given on the quality of the
roads.

9.6.3 Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

• Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Mumbai,

Maharashtra. The system is designed to reduce traffic congestion in the city,
and supplement the overcrowded Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It
will be built in three phases over a 15-year period, with overall completion
expected in 2021. When complete, the core system will comprise high-
capacity metro railway lines, spanning a total of more than 150 kilometers.
Line 1 of the Mumbai Metro is operated by Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd
(MOOPL), a joint venture company formed by RATP Development,
Transdev and Reliance Infrastructure, under a 35-year contract. MOOPL
operates under the control of Mumbai Metro One Private Limited
(MMOPL), formed by Reliance and the MMRDA. The following table
shows the updated master plan unveiled by the MMRDA:

Estimated cost
Line Name of Corridor Length (km) Status
(crore)

Versova–Andheri–
1 11.40 2356 (in 2012) Opened
Ghatkopar

2 Dahisar–Mankhurd 40.2 Planning

3 Colaba–Bandra–Seepz 33.5 24,430 Tendering

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 Wadala–Ghatkopar- Previously,
4 32 8757 (in 2012)
Mulund– planned as Line 5

Planning;

SEEPZ–
7 JVLR–Kanjurmarg 12 4200 (in 2015) Kanjurmarg
line (10.5 km)
extended to
JVLR.

Andheri (E)–
8 18 6,300 (in 2015)
Dahisar (E) Planning

9 Sewri–Prabhadevi 3.50 2100 (in 2012)

Andheri (W)–
18 6,300 (in 2015) Planning
Dahisar (W)

BKC–Mankhurd 12 4200 (in 2015) Planning

67618 crore
Total 160.90
(US$10 billion)

Fig 9.6.3 (a) showing Mumbai Metro Railway

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• Monorail is a nine kilometre route from Chembur to Wadala was
successfully launched in February 2014. Another eleven kilometres between
Wadala and Jacob Circle (Gadge Maharaj Chowk) will soon become
operational. By April 2016, trial runs should begin. This corridor will
reduce a journey time of 50 minutes to just 20 minutes. The four-coach
monorail carries 600 commuters, which has already reduced traffic in many
areas.

Fig 9.6.3 (b) showing Mono Rail

• The Eastern Freeway is a controlled-access highway in Mumbai, that

connects P D'Mello Road in South Mumbai to the Eastern Express Highway
(EEH) at Ghatkopar. It is 16.8 km long and its estimated cost is1436 crore
(US$210 million). The Eastern Freeway was built by the Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and funded by the
Central Government through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission (JNNURM). Construction was contracted to Simplex Infrastructure
Ltd. A 13.59 km stretch of the freeway, comprising two of three segments
with one of the twin tunnels, from Orange Gate on P D'Mello Road up to

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 Panjarpol, near RK Studios in Chembur, was opened to the public on 14
June 2013. The second tunnel was opened on 12 April 2014. The third and
final segment from Panjarpol to Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road (GMLR)
was opened on 16 June 2014.
The Eastern Freeway is primarily intended to reduce travel time between
South Mumbai and the Eastern Suburbs. It is also expected to ease traffic on
Dr BR Ambedkar Road, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg, Port Trust Road, P
D'Mello Road the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and Mohammad Ali
Road. Vehicles are prohibited from halting on the freeway. The maximum
allowed speed limit is 60 km/h.

Fig 9.6.3 (c) showing Underground Tunnel of Eastern Freeway

• Skywalks - MMRDA has constructed skywalks at all major railway

stations for pedestrians to walk safely.

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 Fig 9.6.3 (d) showing Skyway at Bandra station

• Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)

• The Bandra–Worli Sea Link, officially called Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, is
a cable-stayed bridge with pre-stressed concrete-steel via ducts on either
side that links Bandra in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in
South Mumbai. The bridge is a part of the proposed Western Freeway that
will link the Western Suburbs to Nariman Point in Mumbai's main business
district.
The 16 billion (US$240 million) bridge was commissioned by the
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), and built by
the Hindustan Construction Company. The first four of the eight lanes of the
bridge were opened to the public on 30 June 2009. All eight lanes were opened
on 24 March 2010.
The sea-link reduces travel time between Bandra and Worli during peak
hours from 60–90 minutes to 20–30 minutes. As of now, BWSL had an
average daily traffic of around 40,000 vehicles.

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 Fig 9.6.3 (e) showing Bandra-Worli Sealink

• Coastal Freeway -

The Coastal Freeway is a proposed 35.6 km road will begin near Manora
(MLA Hostel), with entry and exit points at Jagannath Bhosale Marg, and will
move along Marine Drive and lead into a tunnel that will go under Malabar
Hill and exit on the other side of Priyadarshini Park. This stretch is proposed
to be built on reclaimed portions up to Haji Ali, and then to Lala Lajpatrai
Road in Worli. The coastal freeway will then be connected to the Worli arm
of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link by a bridge. On the Bandra side, the coastal
road skirting the fort will connect the coastal freeway up to Chimbai village,
where a bridge is proposed. A road by reclamation of mangroves, further
north, or a road on stilts, and an elevated road between Oshiwara and Malad
is also proposed. The coastal freeway will have 18 entry and exit points along
its route. The project is estimated to cost 8,000-10,000 crore, and take 5 years
to complete. The project will be carried out by MCGM.

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 Fig 9.6.3 (f) showing Coastal Freeway

• A cool Commute - Many Mumbaikars have envisioned travelling in air-

conditioned trains. Those dreams will finally come true. Air-conditioned
rakes are set to arrive before March 2016. The Research Designs &
Standards Organisation will then conduct trials. This process will take two
to three months. The Western Railway is also planning to convert 50 twelve-
coach locals into 15-coach locals and is experimenting with seating
arrangements that create extra standing space during the peak rush hour and
automatic doors. Commuters can look forward to travelling in style in thirty-
five new air-conditioned buses.
• New-look harbor line - Central Railway is set to give a new look to its most
congested route. Work of traction conversion (15,000 Direct Current to

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 25,000 Alternating Current) on the Harbour Line is almost finished and 36
new A/C rakes will be introduced. Twelve new Siemens rakes will also start
running by May. Forty new services will also be introduced. Commuters
will also be able to avail of direct trains between CST and Goregaon. Work
on the extension of the Harbour Line from Andheri to Goregaon is also close
to completion.

Example of Singapore -
Singapore is an island city-state of 640 km2 and a population of 5.5 million
(2015). Evolving from a small fishing village of 150 inhabitants to a British
regional trading post in 1819, and since independence in 1965 into a major
Asian metropolitan centre, Singapore has witnessed tremendous changes in
the development of its economy. It is today one of four newly industrializing
economies in Asia. With a vibrant economy, a small land area, and a large
population, the demands on Singapore's roads have, inevitably, been
excessive (especially during peak hours). This has resulted in worsening
traffic congestion, particularly in the city centre.
THE SOLUTION: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
From the beginning, transport planners had warned that, with Singapore s
limited land area and high density of development, an uncontrolled growth in
car ownership and usage would quickly lead to major urban transportation
congestion. The experiences of other cities (e.g., London and Hong Kong)
had shown that simply building more roads was insufficient to keep traffic
free-flowing, as these roads would inevitably invite more traffic (eventually
resulting in more congestion). These warnings were taken seriously and led
the government to formulate an integrated urban land transportation policy
with the following key strategies:
• Integration of land use and transportation planning to minimize the need
for travel;

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• Development of a comprehensive road network, including capacity
maximization;
• Management of the car population and the demand of road usage to
alleviate traffic congestion; and
• Provision of quality public transport choices, including the development
of mass rapid transit and light rail.
Urban Transportation Development and Management: Singapore
The objective of the above strategies is to ensure free-flowing traffic such
that people, as well as goods, move efficiently and easily.
Key Strategies
The first of the four strategies aims at integrating urban development with
transport planning by closely relating the expansion of urban transport
facilities with other measures for promoting desired patterns of land use. This
involved, for example, a proposal for a proper mix of development, and
concentrating high building densities around mass rapid transit stations so as
to ensure maximum accessibility for commuters to key nodes of employment,
housing, leisure, and other social activities. Another effort includes
decentralizing commercial activities from the central area to four new
regional centers in major suburban residential areas. It will also closely
integrate urban development with the present, planned transport system,
thereby bringing jobs closer to workers' homes. This will result in a less
transport-intensive, less costly, and more efficient and congenial urban
environment. The second strategy has been translated into a road-building
programme, Some 11 per cent of the country s land is now taken up by roads
(compared to 13 per cent for housing). In Singapore, the government plays an
active role in supporting urban development and facilitating its
implementation, particularly through ensuring that the much needed funds
and technical support are available. In view of Singapore s urban
development, the government is also seriously studying the feasibility of the
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Singapore underground road system. Although costly to build and operate ;
the system promises the equivalent of 40 per cent more road capacity within
the city centre. This is significant given Singapore’s finite land area.
Increasingly, efforts are made to harness technology as a means of
maximizing network capacity, for instance, by upgrading and installing
intelligent traffic management systems. An example is the Green Link
Determining (GLIDE) intelligent traffic light system, which increases the
capacity of junctions and facilitates smoother traffic flow through the creation
of more green waves.
Such measures, however, are only effective in reducing congestion if
demand remains at present levels. This suggests the need for developing a
policy on car-use restraint – which brings us to the third strategy of limiting
the role of the car. In this regard, Singapore has implemented road pricing
measures that require car users to bear the cost of using road space.
One example is the introduction of the Area Licensing Scheme to reduce
traffic congestion during peak hours in the city centre.
In addition, Singapore has taken aggressive steps towards limiting car
ownership through a quota scheme implemented in 1990, thereby limiting the
number of new cars allowed on the roads. These car ownership and use
restraints do not work in isolation and have thus been supplemented with
other measures such as the imposition of high vehicle registration fees.
The combined effects of the various measures have kept Singapore's traffic
well below levels observed in countries with similar levels of income.
Compared to Bangkok, Manila, and Hong Kong.

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 Conclusion
To conclude, I would say to solve Mumbai’s traffic problem, what is
needed is :
• Systematically developing 4-5 emerging Central Business District (CBDs)
–– and improving their connectivity with each other and with key
residential areas. This will reduce the current north –south pressure to and
from the Nariman Point CBD; For example creation of Bandra-Kurla
Complex. It is a planned commercial complex in the suburbs of the Indian
city of Mumbai. The complex is the first of a series of "growth centres"
created to "arrest further concentration" of offices and commercial
activities in South Mumbai. It is expected to de-congest southern Mumbai
and seed new areas of planned commercial real estate in the metropolitan
region. There is need to explore and create such more complexes in the
area like Andheri, Goregaon, Malad, Kurla & Vikroli etc.
• Providing north-south and east-west rail and road connectivity in the form
of ring rails and ring freeways. All world-class cities have express ring
freeways (6-8 lane roads with no signals) around the city such that a
freeway can be accessed from any point in the city in less than ten minutes.
Government has proposed various Metro Rail Lines, Coastal Road,
Flyovers. But timely completion of these projects are necessary. For
example Goregaon – Mulund Link Road (GMLR) has been delayed for a
long.
• A government should give priority to improve Public Transport which
should provide the best services at a minimum cost because as Public
Transport will improve, the people will refrain from using private vehicles.
Also combination of short term measures like improving junctions,
completion of missing links, Road widening, improving quality of roads
& railway networks, exploring the use of water transport & long term

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 measures like policy making would definitely minimize the problems of
traffic in Mumbai city.

Scope of future study –

Traffic problem is increasing day by day and it becomes bad to worse.
Hence there is a lot of scope for future study. Comprehensive efforts from
Government and its various agencies, transport planners, car manufacturers as
well as from common public is required. Study in the field of quality of roads,
improvement in rail networks, use of water transport, mass rapid transit systems,
alternative energy vehicles, innovation and use of modern technology, innovation
and use of road safety measures etc. can be done.

References –

1. Development Control Regulation (DCR)

2. Mumbai City Development Plan
3. Control Room of MCGM
4. Newspaper i.e. Mumbai Mirror
5. Paper from Lim Lan Yuan Head School of Building and Real Estate
Management National University of Singapore
6. Personal experience of working in Traffic and Coordination of MCGM.

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