Comprehensive Mobility Plan key to implementation of LRT

C Shivakumar @ Chennai: 

Comprehensive Mobility Plan, a long-term vision of desirable mobility patterns (people and goods) for a city, and light rail transit has been the focus of a quarterly review meeting held at Chennai Metro Rail Administrative Building which was presided by Union Housing Secy Durga Shankar Mishra.

A top Chennai Metro Rail official told Express that the meeting of managing directors of metro rails across the meeting also discussed Light Rail Transit (LRT), an upgraded version of trams, which is likely to be introduced in medium and smaller towns across India.

The meeting assumes significance after managing director of Chennai Metro Rail P K Bansal underwent a study tour organized by Institute of Urban Transport (India) and facilitated by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to look at LRT models in Portugal, Frankfurt and Stuttgart in Germany for replicating it in Indian cities.

Metro Rail sources privy to LRT models said that it is cost effective and one has to study the feasibility and also whether it can attract ridership.

It is learnt that the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) will also look into it. Sources said that the Union Housing and Urban affairs secretary wanted all the cities having metros to come out with a Comprehensive Mobility plan which is different from the Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Study (CTTS) earlier prepared for Chennai. While the focus of a CTTS is on the mobility of vehicles, a CMP concentrates on the mobility of all people.  “After this there will be a feasibility report and then alternate analysis,” said a metro rail official.

This also comes in the wake of state government looking at implementing mass transit system in Coimbatore. A comprehensive mobility plan had identified potential corridors and the actual technical option will be finalized through a detailed study.

Sources also said that Rs 80,000 crore detailed project report (DPR) of second phase of Chennai Metro will get green light after  Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority notifies the new Transit Oriented Development policy of Union government as part of the masterplan of Chennai.

Meanwhile, the housing secretary along with managing directors inspected Chennai Metro rail depot located at Koyambedu and took a metro train ride to Alandur Metro station and inspected inter-corridor arrangements. They also visited Nandanam Metro Station and inspected the uniqueness of Metro station as the station box of Nandanam underground metro station is considerably smaller than other metro stations.