Mumbai Urban Transport Project - A multi dimensional approach to improve urban transport

This paper attempts to bring out the lessons learned from implementation of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), a World Bank financed project. While some of the problems and many solutions may be case specific, the lessons learnt would be of use for other similar interventions especially in similar urban settings. Even complex engineering challenges are generally easy to be surmounted, when compared with the bigger challenges like resettling the project affected peoples, managing several stake holders and institutions, bringing them together and they agreeing to do things differently. MUTP was implemented under very difficult urban environment in the city of Mumbai (India) and involved resettlement of about 100,000 people. It also required coordination among several government agencies that were responsible for different components of the project. This project was partly financed by the World Bank and the loan has closed on June 15, 2011. The main focus of the paper is to bring out the challenges faced and the lessons learnt. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.