India has sought Japan's assistance in setting up more urban transport systems like monorail projects, intelligent transport networks and the Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS). Japan has already been extending financial assistance for the construction of Delhi Metro.

Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, now in Tokyo participating in the India-Japan Business Summit, has acknowledged Japan's assistance in the development of India's urban transportation, elicited more assistance and invited investors to the Indian markets.

After repeated squabbles with the civic administration over desilting of the Mithi river, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now sent an ultimatum to the BMC that it will be doing the desilting work this year for the last time.

Both agencies have been at loggerheads for the past seven years over the desilting of a six-km stretch of the Mithi river, resulting in a delay in desilting and waterlogging in areas around that patch.

MUMBAI: The first phase of the monorail from Chembur to Wadala is slated to be ready for the public in December but only if it gets the green signal on safety issues from its safety consultants from Singapore. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) commissioner, Rahul Asthana, admitted that the project could take some more time if the safety consultant, SMRT of Singapore, wanted some changes before certifying that it has passed all stringent tests.

In a breakthrough, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) claimed to have resolved a major issue regarding the right of way (ROW) for the second phase of the monorail project, which runs from Wadala to Jacob Circle. The agency has also indicated it will take strict action against the contractor who built the Lalbaug flyover after a portion of its concrete came off.

As the construction of the first Monorail enters its final stages, the development authority implementing the project is in talks to invite the operator of Singapore’s mass transit system to conduct a safety audit of the line due to unavailability of expertise in India.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has received positive responses from Singapore’s SMRT Corp and Hong Kong’s MRT Corp to conduct an independent safety audit of the 9-kilometre Chembur-Wadala line.

Emerges best feeder rail network for City

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is likely to be preferred over to Monorail for the City. Capita Symonds - the UK-based consultancy firm for property and infrastructure solutions to which the State government has assigned the job of suggesting the best feeder rail network for the City - considers LRT more advantageous than Monorail.

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) seems rather upbeat about the proposed introduction of the monorail system in Guwahati.

Talking to mediapersons in Guwahati today, GMDA chairman Robin Bordoloi said, “Scomi Engineering Berhad, Malaysia, is carrying out a survey in Guwahati to examine the feasibility of the monorail system. So far the company has said that such a system is feasible in the city.

Voicing his opposition to the proposed monorail, the mode of mass transport that found favour with the AIADMK regime over the Metro rail system, former chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation E Sreedharan has said it is disappointing that the authorities chose to pursue monorail proposal instead of completing the Chennai Metro Rail project that is under construction.

GUWAHATI: Engineering Projects India Limited on Tuesday made a presentation before Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on the feasibility of the monorail system in Guwahati. The company that such a system was feasible in the capital city and that the expenditure for putting in place such a system would be less that the metro rail system. The company also suggested introduction of the monorail system based on the PPP (prive-public partnership) mode. The Chief Minister said that the government woulld take the company’s suggestions into consideration.

Mumbaikars have to wait longer to take a Monorail ride in the city. Officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is implementing the project, said it was likely that the operationalisation of the 8.26km-long first phase of the Monorail from Wadala to Chembur may now happen between December 2012 andApril 2013.