Mumbai Metro alert! This may prove a shot in arm for crowd management, connectivity

In a bid to ensure better crowd management and connectivity to the Mumbai Metro, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI) India Ross Center and Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) jointly launched the Station Access and Mobility Program (STAMP) in Mumbai on Wednesday.

How STAMP will facilitate access to the Metro in Mumbai?

"The program aims at enabling public-private partnership by launching a challenge to seek innovative data and technology-based solutions to improve crowd management and first- and last-mile connectivity to the Mumbai Metro," an official statement said.

STAMP will be facilitated by the partners, namely, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Mumbai Traffic Police (MTP), Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation Limited (MRVC), Mumbai Metro One Pvt. Ltd. (MMOPL) and Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS).

STAMP 2019: All you need to know

-The STAMP initiative invites entrepreneurs, citizens’ groups, professionals, and students to submit proposals targeted at seamless multi-modal transfer. 

-Their proposals should enhance commuter experience, last-mile connectivity options to metro/suburban rail, and/or traffic flow management systems for station access areas.  

-Selected solutions and service providers will be able to leverage information provided by MMRDA, MCGM, MTP, MRVC, MMOPL and WRI India. 

- The objective is to apply new technologies to better utilize data and address commuting and access challenges faced by metro users in Mumbai. 

- Proposals will be evaluated in a two-step process, based on criteria such as potential for impact and deployment, sustainability and replicability. 

- The final teams will participate in an intensive five-day accelerator with stakeholders to help adapt solutions to identified problem statements. 

- The accelerator will culminate in a public Pitch Day event, at which 2-3 winning proposals will be announced and awarded research grants and an opportunity to pilot their solutions.

Noteworthy, this is the fourth edition of the STAMP challenge led by WRI India and Toyota Mobility Foundation. Previously, they have worked in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi to improve access and last-mile connectivity to mass transit systems using data. This year, WRI and TMF will work towards improving access and usage of metro transit in Mumbai by sourcing innovative and sustainable entrepreneurial solutions. 

Launching STAMP 2019, RA Rajeev, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA said, “To ensure smooth, efficient and safe dispersal of commuters for last/first mile connectivity MMRDA is implementing multimodal integration plans together with technology innovations. In this context MMRDA is happy to associate with WRI and other concerned agencies.”

Toyota Mobility Foundation Director, Prasanna Ganesh remarked, “After successful pilots in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, STAMP Mumbai will take another step to comprehensively tackle the first- and last-mile problem.”