Chennai:
In a bid to ensure clean, efficient and cost-effective modes
of transport become preffered modes of transport, the state government is
planning to focus more on non-motorised transport including laying of bicycle tracks
and footpaths besides improving the public transport infrastructure in five
cities.
At a Sustainable Cities through Transport Workshop, which
was inaugurated by Minister of Municipal Administration and Rural Development,Law,
Courts and Prisons K P Munnusamy, the corporation commissioners of Coimbatore,
Madurai, Salem, Tiruppur and Tiruchirappali unveiled their plans for the next five
years that included greenways, pedestrian zones, cycle tracks as well as bus
rapid transit system.
Munnusamy said that the cities of Tamil nadu have
developed plans to make walking and cycling safer, easier and more convenient.
“We are aware of the need to construct wide, continous
footpaths along all major streets in our cities and towns. We also need to
carve out space for cyclists in the form of continous, shaded cycle tracks that
make it safe for the children to travel to school and for workers to cycle to
their workplaces.
Interestingly, the plan is to cut down on the usage of
private motor vehicles and usage of public mode of transport as well as
non-motorised transport.
Surprisingly, although BRT would have faced roadblocks in
Chennai as it has yet to be implemented but the commissioners of all five
cities have backed the project even coming out with a budget as well as
strategy for the next 24 months.
G Latha, Coimbatore corporation commissioner, said that
Coimbatore has plans to have a 72 km of BRT network in the first phase besides
adding 240 new city buses.She also has plans for greenways along eight water
bodies besides 31 km of cycle track and 49 km of footpath. She says Coimbatore
has prepared a sustainable transport network plan worth Rs 1500 crore.
Interestingly, Madurai corporation commissioner spelt out
his plans to integrate the footpaths with heritage sites besides stressing on
the need for pedestrian free zones in five streets of the city.
Surprisingly, all the cities had plans for greenways,
footpaths, hawker zones, cycle tracks and BRTS.
This was also highlighted by top officials of the state
government during a panel discussion. “The plan is to give the bus the same
kind of importance as is being given to ambulance as it carries more than 60
passengers rather than the four wheelers or two-wheelers,” said a senior
municipal administration official.
Interestingly, there are also challenges associated with
it with many experts stressing the need for the city managers to chart out
plans suited to their cities rather than coming up with similar plans. ‘Every
city is unique,” said a senior highways official.
Municipal administration and water supply secretary K
Phanindra Reddy, Commissioner of municipal Administration Chandrakant B Kamble,
Director of town and country planning A Karthick, Chennai metro rail managing
director P K Bansal were also present on the occasion
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