[sustran] Re: World Bank loan for MUTP

[kisan mehta]

Dear Bina, 

Your three messages one after another this evening shows your 
anxiety to improve the conditions in Mumbai.  Let us meet at the 
earliest to start work for a better Mumbai.   Priya is out to her
farm so amsending thismessage in her absence, Best wishes.

Kisan  

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Bina CBalakrishnan <binac at rediffmail.com>
To: sustran-discuss <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Cc: kisan mehta <kisansbc at vsnl.com>; Walter Hook <whook at igc.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 6:27 PM
Subject: [sustran] Re: World Bank loan for MUTP


> Dear Mr. Mehta, Ms. Salvi,
> 
> Thank you for the gracious invitation to meet with you at your 
> offices in Mumbai.
> 
> Maybe I should tell you where I'm coming from, and where I stand, 
> first.
> 
> As I said earlier, I am an independent consultant in 
> Transportation Planning and Engineering, based in Mumbai. I was 
> fortunate to do a study for Mumbai in 1999-2000, where I 
> interacted very closely with the senior officers of the MMRDA, the 
> BMC, the Maharashtra Maritime Board, the Western and Central 
> Railways, and the then newly formed MRVC. I was impressed with the 
> commitment I saw there.
> 
> As we will all readily admit, Mumbai as a city is barely 
> functional. These people try to do their best, despite tremendous 
> odds, funds crunch, and the sheer weight of numbers. But as an 
> independent consultant, once I finished my job, I moved on.
> 
> Last year, I was drawn into a very novel movement here in Mumbai. 
> Aware of the problems facing the city, and also aware of the 
> Government's limitations in resolving them, a group of NGOs had 
> come together to stem the city's rapid downslide. The most obvious 
> problem was transportation, and the immediate fallout - apart from 
> other issues- was the increased levels of pollution in the city. 
> The group targeted this, therefore. They called themselves NeTrA - 
> an acronym for Networking for Transportation Alternatives. I am 
> now very actively involved with NeTrA, and guide them on 
> transportation related issues.
> 
> NeTrA is committed to improving the transportation system of 
> Mumbai, and believes in working very closely with the concerned 
> authorities in order to achieve this objective. Confrontations 
> solve very few problems, and generally results in the waste of a 
> lot of time. NeTrA therefore focuses on issues, and forces a 
> meaningful dialogue with the Government, getting it to make 
> commitments, and setting target dates for achieving these 
> commitments.
> 
> Coming now to the much-discussed MUTP, we at NeTrA believe in 
> trying the application of management solutions to solve a 
> transportation problem, before resorting to an engineering, or 
> supply side, solution. However, having done the earlier job in 
> Mumbai, I am aware of the limitations of the road network of the 
> city, and also of the transportation system as a whole. Therefore, 
> I feel that those projects that have been identified within the 
> scope of the MUTP are sorely needed, and the sooner they are 
> implemented, the better off the city and its residents will be. Be 
> very assured, however, that we are not any part of the "Car 
> lobby", but are actively trying to promote mass transportation- 
> both road based and rail based, and if possible, water based 
> too!
> 
> This does not imply that we have blindly agreed to whatever the 
> plans involve. We have been attending the public presentations, 
> and making suggestions, some of which have been included in the 
> scope of the MUTP. Where we do not agree, we raise an objection, 
> and it has been looked into. As I said earlier, the entire EIA is 
> on the net, and available to anyone who may be interested.
> 
> Having said this much, I would be happy to meet with you, either 
> as an independent planner or as a member of NeTrA.
> 
> My very best regards to you and Ms. Salvi.
> Bina C. Balakrishnan
> Consultant
> Transportation Planning and Engineering
> e-mail: binac at rediffmail.com
> 
> 
> On Sun, 10 Mar 2002 kisan mehta wrote :
> >Dear   Bina,
> >
> >We were happy to read your elaborate response  to our emails to 
> >the
> >Sustran Colleagues and Walter Hook.on the World Bank Loan for
> >the MUTP    We initially thought of replying on points picked 
> >up
> > from our reply for giving you response.   Then we observed 
> >that
> >you are a Mumbai resident. We thought it may be more 
> >appropriate
> >in the ultimate benefit of Mumbai residents (and visitors too) 
> >that
> >we discuss issues amongst ourselves and draw up a joint working
> >plan, if necessitated, for obtaining all good and enticing the 
> >MUTP
> >promises with the Bank help. May we invite you to our office 
> >for
> >a meeting at a mutually convenient time?
> >
> >A Sustranmember, Mr William Ross is visiting Mumbai from
> >16 till (I believe) 23 March.  We could request him as well to
> >join after our preliminary meeting before the 16th.  Best 
> >wishes.
> >
> >Kisan Mehta   kisansbc at vsnl.com
> >Priya Salvi   priya_salvi at yahoo.com
> >Save Bombay Committee
> >620, Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East,
> >Mumbai 400 014
> >Tel:   00 91 22 414 9688
> >Fax:  00 91 22 415 5536
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> > From: Bina CBalakrishnan <binac at rediffmail.com>
> >To: sustran-discuss <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
> >Cc: kisan mehta <kisansbc at vsnl.com>; Walter Hook 
> ><whook at igc.org>
> >Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2002 9:20 PM
> >Subject: Re: [sustran] Re: World Bank loan for MUTP
> >
> >
> 
>