The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to take a page out of metro transport systems in Singapore and Hong Kong by setting up a new company for operations and maintenance of all the upcoming Metro corridors in the city, reports the Indian Express.

Two teams of officials visited and met with the metro transit authorities in Singapore and Malaysia on a study trip in-order to set up a draft of an overall plan in setting up such a company.

Praising the metro services in Hong Kong, the Metropolitan Commissioner R A Rajeev said that the city’s extensive Metro rail network sees over 90 per cent of all public transport users while adding that the metro in Hong Kong boasts a 100 per cent punctuality record.

He said that the reason for such efficiency is the operation of the Hong Kong Metro rail system by a separate, autonomous company. “It is good to have a company that operates and maintains the Metro rail systems. A study for the same has already begun; the agency will be formed by next year when operations of the Metro 2A (Dahisar to DN Nagar) begin,” he said.

Currently, Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL), led by Reliance Infrastructure operates the Metro 1 corridor of Versova, Andheri and Ghatkopar. Mumbai will follow Delhi Metro, Singapore Metro and Hong Kong Metro who have a maintenance and operations agency like the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), SMRT corporation and MTR (Mass Transit Railway) respectively.

Speaking about the advantages of such an agency, a senior official said that having a separate company for distance covering around 180 km in Mumbai will facilitate more comfortable collections from the new fare system. Furthermore, a single company can provide last mile connectivity through private cabs and buses from metro stations, he added.

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