Comparing public and private transport, Datar said nearly 107 lakh commuters use local trains and BEST buses. Comparing public and private transport, Datar said nearly 107 lakh commuters use local trains and BEST buses.

Transport experts have spoken about the need for striking a balance between environment and transportation projects in the city. The experts, under the banner ‘A City for People Forum’, also called for dedicated bus lanes and cycle tracks.

The experts — Ashok Datar, Nitin Killawala, Hussain Indorewala and Firoza Suresh — were participating in a discussion on the ongoing infrastructure projects in the city and their impact on the environment.

“Currently, there are too many transport projects under the banner of infrastructure but no one is focusing on other infrastructure projects like creating parking plots in the city,” Datar said. “Currently, cars share 9 to 16 per cent transportation in the city. There are more than four lakh plus cars plying in the city daily but only 8,000 cars can be parked under pay and park scheme,” he added.

Comparing public and private transport, Datar said nearly 107 lakh commuters use local trains and BEST buses daily while 80 lakh people use private modes of transport like cars, taxis, autos and bikes. But the expenditure on public transport comes to Rs 3,500 crore, while that on private transport comes to Rs 70,500 crore.

Killawala said there were more than 12 Metro corridors proposed in the city. But he questioned whether they would get the ridership like Mumbai Metro One, which connects Ghatkopar and Versova.

Indorewala said, “After ‘Amchi Mumbai Amchi BEST’ campaign, there were so many suggestions for BEST. BEST has reduced the minimum fare to Rs 5 from Rs 8, boosting ridership from 17 lakh commuters daily to 25 lakh commuters. It’s a welcome move by BEST, but in order to make this more helpful for the public BEST should ensure the restoration of closed routes, an app for its buses and a dedicated lane for long-distance BEST buses.”

Suresh, addressing the event, said that in terms of last-mile connectivity, the government should create cycle tracks everywhere.

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