Random Thoughts

Mumbai locals – As clueless as hell

Is the underground train system (the Tube as Londoners call it fondly) in London ISO certified?

I don’t know the answer. But what I can tell you for sure is that if the London Tube system and our very own local train network in Mumbai decide to race for such a certification then the latter in its current form would lose by a furlong!

And the reason for this has nothing to do with the way the Mumbai local trains carry the herd of commuters or the way they get delayed. Tubes in London are almost equally crowded (to be fair with Mumbai locals, the Tubes carry nearly half less load) and they too face delays.

The reason simply lies in the significance of the ISO certification. The certification is accredited when an organisation or an institution documents all its processes. And, reference to such documents can help someone use the facilities or execute processes without any human help.

The London Tube system scores ten out of ten when it comes to disseminating information about its routes and journey to passengers. Apart from route maps, every tube is equipped with automatic public announcement system, which speaks name of the current station and that of the next one. It also reminds passengers to take care of the gap if any between the platform and the train compartment! Further, it also tells on what stations you can get down to change your route. To simplify this, just imagine that the Mumbai local has a voice system which tells you to get down at Dadar and take the western route if you are traveling from Thane to Bandra.

A staunch Mumbaikar may argue by saying that the local network in Mumbai is fairly complex with three different lines (central, western and harbour). Well, hold your breath but the London Tube is far more complex with as many as 12 lines! And, still a stranger like me can easily travel from one point to another without any human help as long as I can read and understand English…

The point I want to make here is how often do we realize that the systems that we use in India are not fairly documented? Just imagine the kind of pain a stranger to Mumbai goes through while commuting from one place to another. Why can’t we insist for a system wherein every station and every platform and every train compartment is equipped with all the necessary information in the form of display cutouts? Further, a delay in journey or a detour due to overhaul or heavy rains need to be conveyed well in advance both in the train and on the platform.

Of course, there is no denial that locals in Mumbai are gradually getting equipped with public address systems but it is still a long way before these can match the global best-in-class practices.

Labels: Matters of life

posted by Ranjit @ 10/28/2008 12:42:00 pm