Maha govt forms task force to prepare integrated bus transport plan for MMR

The Maharashtra government has formed a 12-member task force to prepare an integrated bus transport plan for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) with an aim to provide commuters with a seamless travel experience through a single-ticketing system.

According to a government resolution (GR) issued by the Urban Development Department on Tuesday, the general manager of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) will head the task force, while the chief of the transport and traffic department of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will serve as its secretary.

Municipal commissioners of Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar and Panvel will be part of the panel, along with additional municipal commissioners from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the MMRDA.  The task force was formed following directives issued during a meeting of the Growth Hub Regulatory Board chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 7 this year. The panel has been tasked with drafting a comprehensive plan to integrate all public bus transport services operating in the region, the GR said. The terms of reference of the task force include ensuring coordination among various public transport undertakings and facilitating a unified ticketing mechanism to simplify travel for passengers across the MMR.  Presently, MMR has no single public transport body, but civic bodies provide public bus services to their respective jurisdiction and neighbouring areas. BEST provides public bus service in greater Mumbai and neighbouring cities. Similarly, the local transport bodies in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, and Vasai-Virar run public buses in the MMR, in addition to a few other transport bodies.