High-level panel to study setting up of unified metro rail authority for Mumbai

Mumbai, Nov 9 (PTI) In a significant step to streamline metro rail operations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Maharashtra government has constituted a high-level committee that will recommend measures for integrating multiple agencies under one unified authority.

The committee, under the chairmanship of Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, will examine various aspects and recommend measures for integrating multiple metro rail agencies under one Unified Metro Rail Authority, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd said in a post on X on Saturday.

The state Urban Development Department's government resolution (GR) dated November 6 concerns the formation of a committee to recommend the integration of various metro rail agencies operating in the MMR.

The GR stated that the committee will study issues arising from the current multi-agency structure and propose a framework for establishing a unified metro rail entity.

"Now that the metro lines are getting commissioned one by one and now that we, at MMRDA, have launched the Mumbai One App, where the entire journey through various modes of transport through MMR like bus, train, metro can be planned on the Mumbai One app, this step will go a long way in integrating the various metro lines which are operated today by various entities," Mukherjee said in a post on X.

The high-level panel includes the managing directors of the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (Maha Metro), Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL), Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL), and senior officials from CIDCO and the Urban Development Department.

The committee will outline the stages of integration, prepare a roadmap for asset transfer and valuation, and study international models such as Transport for London (TfL) and Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA).

It has been directed to submit its report within three months. PTI MR ARU