Saturday 10 May 2014

Different People Different Needs


Mumbai the biggest city in the country, melting pot of so many cultures and the trade capital of India, is certainly a city that takes a whole new breed to survive in it.
The city that is known for its remarkable spirit of people , who are different, may be different from their counterparts across the world, not for the way they enjoy the life in a cosmopolitan city, but for the way they embrace the toughest of challenges a cosmopolitan city can ever bring to the table.

The very spirit of the city is to keep moving, if someone makes it easier its good, if someone doesn’t we don’t have time to stop and crib, its somehow become our DNA, the need to keep moving, moving ahead, moving to make the ends meet, moving to live what is called MUMBAI.

Yet deep in our hearts we know we need to be taken care of and all we need is to be thought of while anything is put before us for our service. The way we commute forms a very important part of it. If at all it becomes a little better imagine what impact it can bring to our life. “A devel­oped coun­try is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use pub­lic trans­port” With the pace at which the city is expanding unfortunately its infrastructure isn’t and that’s where the most basic need is not coming to terms with existing system, the need to travel with dignity.

Arrival of Metro at this time marks a transition, with this Mumbai joins league with many world cities to care for its citizens better. Symbol of modern transportation that Metro is it fills the major gap in what a Mumbaikar needs and what he ends up coming to terms with.

This Modern transportation brings with it higher benchmarks of how a public transport should be thoughtful towards its commuters and this is no luxury this is the most basic right which signifies the sensitivity of a city towards its citizens.

In a nutshell when we break down the features and facilities metro has to offer, they are no mere accident they are synopsis of the thoughtfulness put towards different set of people who are going to use the system.
            


The facilities Metro brings to the table address the most basic concerns, different group of people within us carry. For example a well planned retail at stations will definitely address the concern of women and hurried people to get their things sorted right while they are commuting, without having to spend time outside stations, ATMs, convenience stores, mobile shops, refreshment and snacks stores open wide range of options for fellow Mumbaikars.

In a mad rush of every day travel where elderly, pregnant women, people with special needs feel ignored, Metro’s ecosystem is developed considering this small yet important section of society, right from entry to exit its ensured that the system is friendlier to people with special needs, lifts, escalators, tactile flooring, wheelchair friendly trains and platforms, signify the thoughtfulness that this modern transportation brings to the city.

In this effort to make this small commute as world class, caring and thoughtful as possible the safety aspect has too been taken care of, when Metro carries a fast Mumbaikar faster to its destination, the system is designed such that while in emergency the stations can be evacuated as quickly as 4 minutes, in times of emergency in train passenger driver communication allows passengers to speak to the driver and even get the train stopped if required. 

The things of big comfort and convenience happen by taking care of the small needs of different people, that’s where this new and modern transportation is setting benchmarks, for the city that is in dire need to expand its infrastructure to support the growing number of people, the journey from here on should have new rules to follow and better things to expect.










Tuesday 29 April 2014

Million choices, million worries, Just one less!

A day in the life of Mumbaikar is nothing less than a marathon with hurdles, forcing us to make choices we really don’t want to make to reach to our destination. We constantly find ourselves asking “Why me? Why today? Why THIS every day?”


With 12 million people living in the city, even the widest of roads and developing infrastructure seems insufficient. We, Mumbai Metro, want to do our bit to bridge this gap; we aim to marry the East and the West of Mumbai city.

A large percentage of this part of Mumbai travels across the city putting an immense pressure upon the existing transport system. On an average, a Mumbaikar spends 90 minutes (or more), of their day travelling. People in Mumbai are renowned to spend maximum time commuting, leaving behind Delhi, Chennai & even Bangalore.


We Mumbaikars, work hard & travel harder!

The average time spent by a Mumbaikar travelling in a train is estimated to be close to 2 hours every day.The local trains are more famously attributed to be the backbone of the city, commuting millions every day. However they fail to connect this part of the city.

The BEST appears to be the best choice in this situation. The BEST buses form the city’s network with a very well spread layout reaching into every nook & corner of the city. However, it takes about 60 minutes to 120 minutes for one to get from Ghatkopar to Versova, depending on the density of vehicular traffic. And this patch being one of the most traffic congested hot zones of the city, the fact that the BEST buses are the cheapest mode of travelling from the east to the west Mumbai is insignificant.

The unreliable nature, the discomfort and the security issues that arise every time we see people hanging from the doors of these modes of transport shows how mumbaikar value’s his time! Sometime, they are willing to risk their life just to meet their appointments.

Taxis and auto rickshaws seems as the second best option but in the city where time is money, this is neither an option nor a luxury we can afford. The fare for this generally goes from Rs. 15 to Rs. 200.  And with the traffic jams clogging the narrow streets of the city, potholes, infrastructure problems and the frightening meter readings, it all adds up to your list of worries.

We all wished for traffic to go away, wished for a better mode of transport, wished to see the city develop and with Mumbai Metro, we hope to see all these dreams turn into reality.

As a mumbaikar, we refuse to waste anymore time commuting unsafely. We refuse to hear a No when we really need a Yes. We refuse to let the stress get the best of us.

Amongst the million choices that we have to make as Mumbaikars and amidst millions of worries we have to embrace, we will have one less thing to worry about & HAVE A NICE DAY!


Saturday 26 April 2014

Mumbai Metro - A journey together

Can you completely fall in love with a city?  With Mumbai you really can. The city, it gets into your system, if you live in Mumbai you never want to live anywhere else. It’s one of the ideal cities to experience a strong dose of adrenaline, if you are leading too comfortable life. Inspite of all that it is and all the unpleasantness that people have to contend with, the water-logged streets and the manic traffic jams but regardless of what the city is, it leaves you apologetically, missing the free spirit that is Mumbai.


Mumbai, the city that has innumerable colors and emotions, the highs and the lows, the dreams and the aspirations. With so much of character and yet, it continues to evolve. A city that is flourishing and generates about 5% of India’s GDP and contributes over one third of the country’s tax revenues. But one can’t help but point out the fact that the infrastructure needs a major dose of revamping. With the existing suburban systems under extreme pressure, with the bus system’s role limited to providing feeder services to railways. There are numerous constraints to expand the existing road network capacity. The need and want for an adequate road and rail improvements to match up to the future demand.

Come May, there is much to celebrate about. Mumbai will enter a new phase and have a new face. The traffic, the stress, the noise, the chaos will decrease if not disappear. Reliance Metro, India’s first private partnership operated mass rapid system, will be an answer to Mumbai’s overcrowded and inhuman transport system, providing a fast, easy and comfortable commute through high-speed trains.

It’s not been an easy task, constructing a 233-metre concrete bridge 17 meters above the ground with crush-packed local trains zipping past down below. A viaduct at 7 meters above the Andheri flyover on Western Express Highway—that’s a sampling of the engineering challenges whose high-precision solutions are getting fine-tuned in the office of the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd on a daily basis. Reliance Metro, there is a lot that goes into the making of infrastructure projects like this. Machinery and technology have over the years enabled manmade structures to stand against nature's wrath and testing times. Moulded into the making of the most jaw-dropping engineering marvel, it has only left the human mind boggled, when one unravels the art and science that goes behind it. From the minds of who designed them to those who built, usually leading to a story of carving landmarks out of mere bricks and steel. All this would have not been possible without the help of Mumbaikars who celebrated all the good that happened and believed in us for bad that overcame.Through this blog we would continue to share day to day story of Mumbai metro, mumbaikar and the inspiration that keeps mumbaikar going. Thus inspiring one and all to have a nice day.


Welcome aboard to a journey that will be destination in itself. The journey that we would build together.