Mumbai Monorail loses Rs 8.5 lakh everyday, Rs 50 per commuter

With only 16,000 passengers using the Monorail daily, the transit system is making a loss of approximately Rs 8.5 lakh every single day.

Unlike the city’s other transport routes like the Railways and Metro One, which are overcrowded during peak hours, the Monorail runs half-empty rakes throughout its 130 daily trips. The Metro One, which launched months after the Monorail, transports over 2.7 lakh commuters daily in contrast to the Monorail’s 16,000. The reason – a poor selection of transport route.

The 8.9 km elevated route has a total of seven stations – Wadala depot, Bhakti Park, Mysore Colony, Bharat Petroleum, Fertilizer Township, VNP & RC Marg and Chembur. But unlike their western suburb counterparts, they lack commercial hubs and connectivity with the suburban train network. Therefore, the route benefits a very small segment of Mumbai’s massive commuter traffic.

Till January 2016, the Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDRA) has already spent over Rs 2,554 crores on the entire project, which includes the Rs 17.18 crore spent on operations and maintenance.

In comparison to the expenses, ticket sales amounted to Rs 4.24 crore in 2014 and Rs 4.33 crore in 2015 – resulting in a daily loss of Rs 8.5 lakh. On a per commuter basis, MMRDA loses roughly Rs 50 per passenger.

While transport experts continue to call the Monorail a ‘joyride’ to nowhere and blame MMRDA for the bad planning, the development authority is hopeful that the Phase II launch will result in more commuters using the service and reduce their losses.

The Phase II will connect Wadala-Jacob Circle and the work of the 11.2 km stretch is expected to complete by December.

Stat Courtesy: Mumbai Mirror