MRTS in Chennai under-utilised

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Mass Rapid Transport System in Chennai is under-utilised, poorly designed and lacks maintenance, according to a study.

The study, which was initiated by Goethe Instut in collaboration with Anna University as part of year of Germany celebrations, found many stations lack basic infrastructure required for commuters and is underutilised.

Sharing the study done by students of School of Architecture and Planning (SAP), Anna University, German Prof Gunter Nest and architect Tyco Cote of Habitat  Forum Berlin told Express that the initiative by Goethe Instut as part of an academic exchange was to connect the budding architects with the people to evolve human spaces in urban areas.  

Prof Nest said the study was conducted by 40 students during the four week workshop at SAP. “They were divided in a group of 18 with each group consisting of two to three students. We zeroed in on four of the 18 MRTS stations. These include Velachery, Park Town, Kasturba Bai Nagar and Mylapore, which were situated in key locations of the city,” said Nest.

He said the study showed inter-city railway stations in Chennai do not enjoy the status of traffic hubs or meeting points that could add to the character of urban life. At present they are mostly just huge structures . Some of the stations have big buildings but they are hardly put into use. And what is more the ticketing machines, elevators and other basic amenties hardly work bringing to light the waste of public exchequer on such projects.

He said MRTS was planned so that seven lakh commuters can use it per day but surprisingly it is poorly used and at some stations there are hardly one or two commuters.

He said what is more surprising is that the gap between stations is too less. Take for example Kasturba Bai Nagar which is seprated by Indira Nagar by 800 metres.

He also highlighted ecological issues over construction of Velachery station. It is on a wetland area and would be inundated during the rains. The station should have been on an elevated stretch, he observed.

The professor who is also a planning expert felt the design of MRTS was totally faulty and the concept of MRTS has failed.

He highlighted the need to make people understand the feasibility of public transport by proper maintenance and utilise the stations fully into commercial spaces so that travelling in cities could be faster and easier.

Professor Nest said Goeth Instut will be holding a contest for universities teaching architecture in the next three months on how to deal with MRTS issue before going on to hold a symposium in Chennai

Observations:

-- Metro projects, both existing and in various stages of planning and construction, have a negative side effect on the age-old areas of dwellings and waterways (Cooum and Buckingham Canal) and leave in their wake slums, especially in the vicinity of railway stations.

--  The transport capacity generated through newly created rail network does not seem to be the answer yet to ease traffic snarls

---There is a need to expand the network to cover growth areas

--- Public transportation is not considered an option by the image conscious middle classes shouldering economic development

--- Inter-city railway stations in Chennai do not enjoy the status of traffic hubs or meeting points that could add to the character of urban life.

--- The stations’ existence goes more often than not unnoticed even by shopping centres functioning in their immediate vicinity