Mobility and transport infrastructure in Mumbai Metropolitan Region: growth, exclusion and modal choices

Figures & data

Figure 1. Major transport networks in MMR, 2022.

Source: Prepared by the authors based on ArcGIS base map and MMRDA (2016).

Figure 2. Major transport infrastructure under construction in MMR, 2019.

Source: Created by authors based on ArcGIS base map & MMRDA (2016).

Figure 3. Annual growth rate (%) of vehicles in MMR and its major sub-regions vis-a-vis Maharashtra state, 2001–2019.

Source: Computed using data from the Government of Maharashtra (2017, 2020).

Table 1. Vehicular population in MMR, 2001–2019.

Year	No. of vehicles (in million)					The density of vehicles/sq. km
	Greater Mumbai	Thane Region	Panvel Region (Panvel+Pen)	MMR	Maharashtra	MMR (area 6328 sq. km)	Greater Mumbai (area 437 sq. km)
2001	1.03	0.67	0.14	1.84	6.76	291.24	2355.98
2005	1.29	1.11	0.23	2.63	9.94	415.95	2963.25
2010	1.77	1.86	0.41	4.04	15.77	638.93	4045.30
2015	2.57	2.89	0.56	6.02	25.59	951.22	5883.76
2019	3.79	4.36	0.92	9.07	36.91	1432.96	8664.64

Source: Computed using data from Government of Maharashtra (2017, 2020).

Table 2. Types of registered vehicles by regions in MMR.

Category	Number of vehicles (in ‘000’)				Share (%) of type of vehicle
	Gr. Mumbai	Thane Region	Panvel Region	Maharashtra	Gr. Mumbai	Thane Region	Panvel Region	Maharashtra
Motorcycles	1463.1	2111.3	476.2	19974.7	40.5	50.8	54.5	56.4
Scooters	634.9	450.5	55.6	4263.2	17.6	10.8	6.4	12.0
Moped	31.5	24.6	1.8	1728.9	0.9	0.6	0.2	4.9
Total 2-wheelers	2129.5	2586.3	533.8	25966.8	58.9	62.2	61.1	73.4
Cars	1031.0	781.5	153.1	4347.1	28.5	18.8	17.5	12.3
Jeeps	29.5	57.3	13.3	568.7	0.8	1.4	1.5	1.6
Stn. Wagons	3.7	6.3	0.2	18.9	0.1	0.2	0.0	0.1
Taxis meter fitted	44.4	5.8	0.9	65.6	1.2	0.1	0.1	0.2
Luxury/Tourist Cabs	75.6	68.0	18.3	284.2	2.1	1.6	2.1	0.8
Auto-rikshaws	206.8	233.3	41.0	974.3	5.7	5.6	4.7	2.8
Stage carriages	5.2	2.5	1.5	37.6	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1
Contract carriages/Mini Bus	7.0	21.5	1.1	65.1	0.2	0.5	0.1	0.2
School Buses	2.9	3.1	2.2	29.5	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.1
Private Service Vehicles	1.1	2.8	0.5	12.7	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
Ambulances	1.4	2.9	0.7	16.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
Articulated/Multi-Axled Vehicles	0.0	16.2	25.1	63.0	0.0	0.4	2.9	0.2
Trucks & Lorries	9.2	122.6	41.2	521.4	0.3	2.9	4.7	1.5
Tanker	0.6	21.1	3.5	50.5	0.0	0.5	0.4	0.1
Delivery Van (4 wheelers)	40.3	107.6	20.7	665.6	1.1	2.6	2.4	1.9
Delivery Van (3 wheelers)	24.8	99.4	7.3	450.3	0.7	2.4	0.8	1.3
Tractors	0.2	3.2	1.9	771.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	2.2
Trailers	0.1	13.0	2.4	413.9	0.0	0.3	0.3	1.2
Others	2.0	5.8	5.3	70.0	0.1	0.1	0.6	0.2
Total	3615.2	4160.0	873.8	35,392.2	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0

Source: Computed using data from the Government of Maharashtra (2020).

Table 3. Share of respondents using different modes of travel, average distance, time of travel and expenses in MMR.

Mode of travel	Users (%)	Average distance travelled per day (km)	Average time spent per day (min)	Average expenses per day (INR)
Bus	37.42	11.0	29.3	18.11
Trains	43.56	32.4	33.8	16.91
Taxi	19.02	13.2	50.5	238.64
Autorickshaw	49.08	7.2	39.1	107.81
Monorail	3.68	7.7	53.2	17.66
Metro Rail	8.59	5.6	22.1	14.14
Private car	22.70	27.6	92.9	358.72
Motorbike/scooter	24.54	16.2	49.4	66.65
Cycle	8.59	4.9	112.0	–
Walk	50.31	4.0	32.7	–
Total	–	37.37	140.15	236.40

Source: Based on data from field survey.

Table 4. Reasons for time loss in waiting.

Reasons	Average waiting time (in min)
Waiting for rides (taxi, bus, autorickshaw, trains)	26
Traffic congestion (non-toll plaza)	36
Congestions at toll plazas	22
All reasons	66

Source: Based on data from field survey.

Table 5. Multinomial regression representing determinants of modal selection.

Dominant mode of travel		Coefficients (β)	p-values	Exp(β)/RRR
Base outcome = Public mode of travel (Bus, Train, Metro, Monorail)
Personal car	Intercept	−7.510	0.004	–
	Age	0.035	0.549	1.035
	Monthly income (INR)	0.000	0.000	1.000
	[gender=Female]	−1.978	0.149	0.138
Taxi and autorickshaw	Intercept	−2.091	0.005	–
	Age	0.002	0.940	1.002
	Monthly income (INR)	0.000	0.213	1.000
	[gender=Female]	0.230	0.629	1.259
Motorbike	Intercept	−0.062	0.954	–
	Age	−0.043	0.322	0.958
	Monthly income (INR)	0.000	0.327	1.000
	[gender=Female]	−1.313	0.108	0.269
Model Fitting Information: Likelihood ratio test (chi-square)		92.510		0.000
Pseudo R-square – Cox and Snell		0.452
Pseudo R-square – Nagelkerke		0.529
Pseudo R-square – McFadden		0.312

Source: Computed using data from field survey.

Table 6. Share of respondents with the major problem of mobility faced.

S. No.	Major problem identified	% of respondents
By all commuters
1	Threat of crime (chain snatching, pickpockets, etc.)	12.3
2	Poor condition of the transport vehicles/old vehicles	29.5
3	Poor frequency/long waiting time	44.8
4	Traffic jams	37.4
By women commuters (both male and female respondents)
5	Sexual harassment	37.4
6	Inadequate separate seating	47.9
7	Inadequate washrooms	51.5
8	Overcrowded coaches	64.4

Source: Based on data from field survey.

Table 7. Major transport development plans for Mumbai Metropolitan Regions (MMR).

Year	Plans	Major recommendations	Remarks
1962	Wilbur Smith Plan (Balakrishnan, 2000; Nallathiga, 2007)	Proposed a network of freeways in Greater Mumbai which included Worli Bandra Sea Link Road, the East Island Freeway, The Western Expressway, The Eastern Expressway, the Mahim Creek Connector and the Cross Island Connector	It served as a base document for planning the major road networks in Mumbai. Most of the suggested work began decades later
1973	The Regional Plan by the Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA, now MMRDA)	Inter-regional, intra-regional and intra-city transport plans, new regional corridors and rail linkages. The plan was driven by socialist ideology aimed to limit population growth in Greater Mumbai, the core of the region, to 7 million	Implemented in the next three decades in a delayed manner (MMRDA, n.d.). The population growth of Greater Mumbai City could not be controlled and grew to 9.8 million in 1991
1977	Bombay Urban Transport Project (1977–84) (Balakrishnan, 2000)	Road improvement, increase in bus fleets, bus depots, termini, workshops, flyovers, pedestrian bridges and tunnels	Implemented with support and investments from the World Bank, Indian Railways, BEST and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM)
1983	Plan by the Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi (Balakrishnan, 2000)	Development of freeways, link roads, expressways and major arterial roads	This was a sequel to the Wilbur Smith Plan and re-recommended the freeways
1983	Development of Waterways around Bombay Harbour for Commuter Traffic (Balakrishnan, 2000)	Recommended water transport for commuters along West Coast; Along East Coast, Along Harbour and Thane Creek	It is also known as Datta Committee Report. It is hardly implemented till date.
1983	The Traffic System Management Plan (Nallathiga, 2007)	Short-term measures for construction and improvement of arterial and link roads, footbridges and rail-crossings, and traffic management systems at major crossings	Traffic management at some major junctions have been major achievements
1994	Comprehensive Transport Strategy for MMR (Balakrishnan, 2000; Nallathiga, 2007)	Coherent transport sector strategy for MMR linked with a rational land use plan	Mainly east–west linkages in the city have been implemented through MUTP-I and MUTP-II
2002	Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-I	Enhance public transport with demand management, through capacity optimisation of railways and roadways and organising resettlement and rehabilitation of project-affected households	Received major financial support from the World Bank (57%), and the remaining (43%) from Indian Railways, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), BEST and the Government of Maharashtra
2005	Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)	Urban renewal and redevelopment; improving the roads and bus services	Major emphasis on road widening and bridges and introduction of a fleet of buses
2010	MUTP-II	Upgrade the existing infrastructure, especially the widening of roads (MMRDA, 2021b; World Bank, 2015)	In collaboration with the Government of India and the World Bank
2015	Smart City Mission	Upgrade the existing infrastructure and create provisions for sustainable and environmentally friendly transport infrastructure for providing a decent quality of life to the citizens through the application of smart solutions (Express News Service, 2015; MMRDA, 2021b)	Among others, the implementation ongoing of 36 km 8 lane coastal road from Nariman Point to Kandivali; 34 km Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro; LED-based Passenger Information System (PIS) systems at bus stops
2015	Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)	Complements Smart City Mission and includes Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS); environmentally friendly transport; electric buses; infrastructure upgrade the existing infrastructure (Express News Service, 2015; Hindustan Times, 2021; MMRDA, 2021b; Srivastava, 2021; V. Rathi et al., 2020)	Several projects are under implementation and include 12 Mumbai Metro Lines covering a total length of 223 km, Navi Mumbai Metro line (Phase I, II and III) stretching across 23.4 km, Coastal Roads of 29.2 km length, Mumbai Trans-Harbour link (MTHL) with a length of 22 km, 17.2 km long Bandra–Versova Sea Link and Navi Mumbai International Airport.
2020	MUTP-III (Economics Times, 2020	To improve the network capacity, service quality and safety of the suburban railway system in the MMR (Express News Service, 2015)	With assistance from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Source: Compiled by authors from sources mentioned against each plan.

MMRDA. (2016). Draft Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Plan 2016-36. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Bandra E),

 Google Scholar

Government of Maharashtra. (2017). Transport Statistical Activity 2016-17. Department of Motor vehicles.

 Google Scholar

Government of Maharashtra. (2020). Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Statistics, 2017-18. Department of Motor vehicles.

 Google Scholar

Balakrishnan, B. C. (2000). Comprehensive transport strategy document for Mumbai, Vol. I main report. Bombay First. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://mumbaifirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/comprehensive-transport-strategy-dcm-for-mumbai.pdf

 Google Scholar

Nallathiga, R. (2007). Formulation of Urban Transportation Strategy: A review of the experience of Mumbai. The IUP Journal of Infrastructure, 4(3), 36–48.

 Google Scholar

MMRDA. (n.d.) Oshiware District Centre (ODC). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://mmrda.maharashtra.gov.in/oshiware-district-centre-odc-/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_2XRbD7evGye2/10180/257413?p_p_state=pop_up&_56_INSTANCE_2XRbD7evGye2_viewMode=print

 Google Scholar

MMRDA. (2021b). Mumbai Urban transport project – II. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://mmrda.maharashtra.gov.in/mumbai-urban-transport-project-2

 Google Scholar

World Bank. (2015). Mumbai urban transport project. The World Bank, IBRD-IDA. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/543721468041993260/pdf/551330PJPR0P051Restructuring0Paper.pdf

 Google Scholar

Express News Service. (2015, 1 October). Maharashtra govt proposes 43 cities for AMRUT project. The Indian Express. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-govt-proposes-43-cities-for-amrut-project/

 Google Scholar

Hindustan Times. (2021, 12 October). Mumbai Metro: 10 deadlines missed, what caused delay? Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai/mumbai-metro-10-deadlines-missed-what-caused-delay/story-4xIQvfZoYsXwR1zmfis3FJ.html

 Google Scholar

Srivastava, A. (2021, 31 March). Navi Mumbai: NMMT gets 77 electric buses under Centre’s FAME India scheme. The Freepress Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/navi-mumbai-nmmt-gets-77-electric-buses-under-centres-fame-india-scheme

 Google Scholar

Rathi, V., Bangera, Y., Nibodh, S., & Nerkar, P. (2020). India Urban Infrastructure Report 2020: Special Focus on Mumbai Transport Infrastructure with Key Impact Markets, Mumbai. KnightFrank (India) Pvt. Ltd.

 Google Scholar

Economics Times. (2020, 26 August). AIIB lends $500 million for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III, The Economic Times. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/mobility/aiib-lends-500-million-for-mumbai-urban-transport-project-iii/77756487

 Google Scholar