MUMBAI could see its average travel speed rise fourfold over the next seven years if all ongoing and proposed infrastructure projects stay on track, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday. Speaking at a student interaction in Worli, he claimed that the city’s current average speed of 20 kmph, which drops to 15 kmph during peak hours, could climb to nearly 80 kmph once a vast network of tunnels and connectors is completed.
Invoking mythology to describe the scale of underground works, Fadnavis said, “We are creating a Patal Lok beneath Mumbai to solve traffic congestion.”
Responding to a question on why gridlock persists despite several completed projects, the CM said 60 per cent of the city’s traffic load sits on the Western Express Highway. “Unless this corridor is decongested, Mumbai’s traffic problems will not end,” he said.
Fadnavis outlined a long list of upcoming links, including east-west and north-south connectors, the Thane-Borivli and Mulund-Goregaon tunnels, and the extension of the Coastal Road from Bandra to Versova and further to Dahisar and Bhayandar. He also revealed that a tunnel will connect Bandra Sea Link directly to BKC, and another will link BKC to the airport to cut travel time drastically.
The CM reiterated that Mumbai’s local trains will undergo a major upgrade. “Rakes will have Metro-like features, including air conditioning and automatic doors. All of this will be provided at existing fares,” he said.
‘Not a single charge of corruption’
Replying to a question on corruption, Fadnavis said that in 11 years, there has not been a single allegation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Before 2014, governments changed frequently, and corruption charges were common. In the Modi-led government, not one allegation has been made. This is the change people are seeing,” he said.
He also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, “Rahul Gandhi is always in disillusionment.”
