The total revenue generated by the Chembur-Wadala corridor in the financial year of 2016-2017 was Rs 4,12,72,846. (Photo: IE)
Mumbai’s Monorail is running at an average loss of Rs 3 lakh per day, a Right to Information Act (RTI) query has revealed. The total revenue generated by the Chembur-Wadala corridor in the financial year of 2016-2017 was Rs 4,12,72,846, while the total expenses for the same period was Rs 13,78,41,236, The Indian Express reported. The RTI application was filed by Prithvi Maske, a resident of Andheri East.
Maske said the Monorail service incurs an average loss of Rs 10 crore per year. “Currently, it doesn’t connect to any suburban railway station. It clearly reveals that the project is a failure,” he added. The total budget allocated for the Monorail corridor was Rs 2,460 crore (excluding taxes), of this, Rs 2,121 crore has already been utilised, the query further revealed. “They have only begun services for seven stations and are yet to complete the corridor till Jacob Circle. It is definitely going to overshoot the allocated budget,” Maske was quoted as saying by IE.
According to IE report, the Phase II corridor from Wadala to Jacob Circle is expected to be opened by the year-end. This corridor, which was originally expected to be operational in 2015, has now crossed several deadlines. The monorail is operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). However, MMRDA is now hoping to recover the costs after operationalising the Phase II project, the report said.
Dilip Kawathkar, MMRDA spokesperson said, “No doubt the Monorail is running in losses, but once it is completed till Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk, we will be able to break even. We should be receiving clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) in two months and then Phase II will be operational. Anyway, public projects are not made for profits but for the larger benefit,” as per IE.
