Wait for ‘smart travel’ continues

Mumbai: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has rejected an offer by Transport For London (TFL), a local government body responsible for the transport system in London, offer for preparing a feasibility report on its single smart-card project, reasoning that it is costly. MMRDA’s decision means that the wait for a single smart card for travelling in various modes of transport in the city will continue.

MMRDA feels that TFL’s demand of Rs 3 crore for preparing a feasibility report in addition to looking after the stay of TFL’s executive in India could make the exercise costly. The single smart card, which it is believed will make ticketing system simpler in the city, will enable one to travel on bus, suburban railways, metro and monorail.

“Initially we never expected that the cost of preparing feasibility report would go around Rs 3 crore.  Also, looking for the stay of TFL’s executive would be an extra burden on us when we could just appoint a separate consultant that would cost around Rs 1 crore,” said, a senior MMRDA official. U.P.S. Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “After things did not work out with TFL, we have now re-floated bids for appointing consultants who would prepare the feasibility report for the integrated ticketing system (ITS).”

In December 2015, MMRDA had invited bids for appointing a consultant. After extending the bids three to four times, MMRDA scrapped them as it was reviewing the scope of the consultancy in the light of the initiative by the ministry of urban development to have a National Common Mobility Card. However, MMRDA later had claimed that the bids were scrapped, as it was not getting competitive bidding for the project.  MMRDA in October 2016 said it is in talks with TFL who would prepare a feasibility report for the authority. The reason was that Londons’ ‘Oyster card’ which is a form of electronic ticketing and can be used for public transport, was prepared by TFL.