The novelty of the monorail refused to wear off on the third day. The crowds continued to line up at monorail stations to get a feel of the AC, elevated trains between Chembur and Wadala Depot stations.
On Tuesday, 19,800 people hopped on for a joyride on Mumbai Monorail — 19,600 fresh tokens and 140 smart cards were bought by people throughout the day, according to statistics available with Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
Most of the commuters had opted for a ride from one end to the other, with few disembarking at stations en route.
Metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan said that this trend is expected to continue for a couple of days more.
The monorail service plied a total of 64 trips between 7am and 3pm on Tuesday.
The development authority has approached Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking to chalk bus routes which as feeder services to the monorail. This means the buses will operate to and from monorail stations to facilitate commuters to travel up to monorail stations. At the same time, BEST could redraw bus routes which presently run parallel to the monorail path.
Meanwhile, MMRDA is waiting for the number of “joyride seekers” to gradually wane so that it gets a clear picture of the number of “serious” commuters so it can review travel patterns. The term ‘serious commuters’ refers to those who prefer taking a transportation system for daily chores.
In numbers
The monorail service plied 64 trips from 7am to 3pm on Tuesday. A total of 19,800 people hopped on for a joyride and 19,600 fresh tokens and 140 smart cards were bought by people.
