Officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) are yet to set the date to resume services of Phase 1 of the monorail, which has been non-operational since a fire on November 9.
“We are examining the final report and we will be taking necessary actions before we decide to resume services on Phase 1,” said MMRDA joint project director (public relations) Dilip Kawathkar.
According to a senior MMRDA official, steps being taken to ensure passenger safety include a complete audit of all rakes, revisiting Standard Operating Procedures, and conducting a training programme for monorail staff to tackle fire and other accidents.
An inquiry committee looking into the matter, headed by former railway safety commissioner P.S. Baghel, submitted its final report last week. The report has suggested steps such as improving the design of the rakes to make them fire proof and creating access to areas like Mahul creek on the monorail line, which at present cannot be accessed by road.
Senior officials said operations may resume once all the short-term recommendations made by the committee are completed.
Meanwhile, officials are confident that operations on Phase 2 of the monorail, which connects Wadala to Jacob Circle, will start by year-end or early January. “Testing process under the Commissioner of Railway Safety are under way,” Mr. Kawathkar said. Officials said efforts are on to resume Phase 1 operations before Phase 2 starts, but haven’t ruled out the possibility of both phases starting operations together.
