our big focus on left, right and centre this evening. Well, the at Al Seu or the Trans Harbour Link has been thrown open to commuters. And what a site it was, of course, very excited. Commuters were on the at Seu today, they took selfies and this has been quite a dream project for the central government. The idea was first floated in the 19 sixties and after that, after a long way, the tender was finally floated in the late two thousands. But finally, under this central government, it received a big push and it was thrown open to the public. Today it has been billed at a staggering cost of over ₹17,000 crore and the prime minister said that this will truly change Mumbai's landscape. We decode the larger issues is the ceiling sea bridge which is India's longest too expensive for commuters? Does it actually look to solve the larger problem of connectivity issues and commute issues? That is what we will be looking at. But before that, listen to what the aviation minister and a senior BJP leader had to say. Jo said that well, this is a grand success of the prime minister's 60 year old dream and resolution one hand jab Karaka Loma Barra Hazara at SE Connectivity Project project is Suraj Hali Houthi Sat VARSA Sapana Maharashtra and Jana SAPA The sandal Sid Kara Karuna Sakar Doha Unis Shala Zala Ani do C TB Jan de ma so well the BJP really pitching it as a mega infrastructure project and it is given the scale at which it has been built But keeping the politics aside today we focus on the larger infrastructure issues of Mumbai issues of the commuters. We bring you voices of experts who actually decode the larger problem of Mumbai. Joining me on the broadcast this evening, Dr Sudhir Krishna, former Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India also with us Rajinder Kapoor, who is the president of All India Motor and Goods Transport Association. Thanks very much, gentlemen, for joining us on Left, right and centre this evening Going across to you first Doctor Krishna Uh, this ceiling, of course, is being pitched as a game changer in Mumbai's, um infrastructure in in the connectivity issues of the Millennium City. But do you think it can it can actually solve the problem of traffic bottle traffic bottlenecks. And you know the the larger connectivity issues that people face in Mumbai. Of course, these are extremely congested roads that we are talking about that it seeks to traverse. So do you think it can solve the larger issue for Mumbai? I think it is a step in that direction. And the all the problems cannot be solved by one stroke. All right, but, you know, the bridge connects the the sea link, uh, Mumbai Trans Harbour link. It connects the south Mumbai to the navi Mumbai and it is a game changer. No doubt it will. It will reduce the tra travel time so much it will reduce the condition on the road. Otherwise, you have to travel all the way and you save almost like 40 to 50% of time and also the fuel as well as the traffic congestion. So definitely it is a big boost in many in many ways. But to say that it will solve all the problem may be somewhat difficult to, you know, accept. But definitely it is a big boost more than the solving the problem. And Dr Krishna is what you're saying, so that's very important. An important perspective there. But Rajinder Kapoor, let me get you in, um, the toll prices. That has been one of the criticisms of this ceiling key. The toll prices of AA Ha Abia Aus Green Phare key for heavy vehicles for trucks, particularly the monthly pass is almost ₹41,000. For heavier vehicles, it's 79,000 is a monthly pass and the single journey, of course, is at 2 ₹50 for cars, approximately 1580 for heavy vehicles. For buses and trucks, it's at 8 ₹30. So while the government has said the fuel prices have also save hung a LA to high, particularly for trucks and heavy vehicles yeah, he told prices both high to Bombay or Puna. The Bombay is a hoka Jan Ali, the most of the, uh, vehicles here, your truck, Samari heavy trucks or small trucks. Your daily daily basis for mo commute. Karen Keli It's too costly. Joki Jitan Bea Ban nahi us Jada Tol me Chala Amara or Hamari Kissa appeal her a AB Rules and regulation Follow Karla Uno Implementation Kota Express, We a RBBG and Belt and Tractor tractors, everything is running. I mean, this is just the beginning, but a fuel price to save. Because navi Mumbai is a Mumbai, tribal time has been reduced so significantly. Distance fuel price jurua moga, daga lake In the toll prices Amaris Modi toll prices. It's called KUBJE to JC regular O logo logo And then they will sit with us and decided what to charge or what to not. So you are saying that it should be in consultation in a sense, with, you know, truckers and associations like yourselves. But Dr Krishna coming back to the larger issue of urban planning in Mumbai, you know, urban development and urban planning is an extremely complex issue, particularly in metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi. One image that has truly defined Mumbai in the past couple of years is the entire city sort of dug up construction every where that sort of contributes to environmental issues as well. Of course, the sea link bridge has is very environmentally conscious as well, I must point out. But do you think that those larger aspects also need to be kept in mind when when we look at a greater sort of construction and an infrastructure push in cities like Mumbai, you see, in a in a city like Mumbai, which is very congested and thickly populated and bustling with economic and social activities almost around the throughout the day and night, I think construction technology has to be changed. We have to have prefabricated construction technology. You know, more and more it will save time. And you don't have to dig up the roads as you have. You have just stated so prefabricated. Uh uh, piers pre prefabricated slabs and, you know, wire duct pieces all that high. It will help a lot buildings also prefabricated. So I think there's one thing we have to do. Secondly, you use of, you know, information technology, construction technology in the modern, with 3D printing and so on. I think Mumbai is a very good candidate to adopt modern construction technology to reduce the problem of digging up of the places here and there. That's a very important point, Dr Krishna, that we need to sort of look at more sophisticated technologies when we are looking at construction of over bridges and flyovers so that they are sustainable and environmentally conscious as well. But Rajinder Kapoor Let me come back to you and ask you K Js infrastructure projects a ek vision Kat ki hum ek Metro city transform karna ha hum uso or advanced banana to a RJ C associations purse Yush ha at least Sartan HOA so that we all move in the right direction As far as the development of our cities is concerned, many times we see a Jhapa traffic bottlenecks trucks, Beja, heavy vehicles that causes a lot of nuisance For daily commuters, vision is good. Uh, I already appreciated that Lek is ok. K road Accident na So your heavy vehicle ear a separate lane is my 100 komet as per my knowledge available knowledge kilometres per hour. I got 100 kilometres per hour speed ho or separate lane, so there will be a scope for accidents and all that has just been thrown open to the public. And let's hope that, you know, the traffic is streamlined and you know, because I'm sure the government is looking at those aspects as well. In fact, the government says that this is a multiple lane over bridge. We have looked at the environment We have looked at, you know making it commuter friendly as well. That, I think, has been the focus of the government in, you know, in highways like the Delhi Jur Highway as well. So a step in the right direction shows some concerns. Some challenges that the government perhaps will have to address sooner rather than later. Thanks very much, gentlemen, for joining us on a centre this evening.
