Metro: Governor tells Administration to examine financial viability
Chandigarh, September 2
Launch of Metro the tricity is likely to get delayed, as Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has asked the Administration to examine the financial viability of the project in the cities of similar size.
An official said a committee would be constituted to study the economic viability of the project in other cities and the report submitted in the next meeting.
Advancing towards Chandigarh’s Metro-Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network expansion, the 3rd meeting of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) was held today under the chairmanship of Kataria to discuss the ‘Alternatives Analysis Report’ and ‘Geotechnical Investigations Report’ for MRTS in the tricity.
The UMTA is a unified platform to handle overall mobility issues of the tricity and ensure coordination among various stakeholders, institutions and implementation of this mobility plan to improve the traffic situation in the city.
In the meeting, detailed presentation was given on a Metro train network spanning approximately 154.5 km in two phases for the tricity. Under Phase-I, 85.65 km of route has been proposed in the tricity with 16.5 km of underground route in heritage sectors of Chandigarh.
The major topics discussed during the presentation were ridership estimates, geotechnical investigations, alternative analysis, type of MRTS system, depot land requirement etc.
As per the Alternative Analysis Report prepared by project consultant-RITES, two-coach Metro has been found as most viable MRT System for the tricity. As per report, work on Phase-I corridor would be completed by 2032 with both over-head and underground network.
Detailed deliberation was done on the subject and it was decided that next meeting be held after a month after some necessary further examination has been done in the matter.
The Governor asked the officials to examine the financial/economic viability for similar-sized cities where Metro has been made operationalised for a better planning of the project in the tricity.
Ring road
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared a plan regarding the development of a ring Chandigarh, the traffic has increased manifold in the tricity. NHAI officials informed the meeting about the status of the Zirakpur- Panchkula bypass to decongest traffic coming from Delhi and going towards HP.
Shorter route to airport
A presentation was given on the alternative shorter route to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport from Purv Marg (Jn-63) reducing the total distance from 11.6 km to 3.5 km. Punjab Government also informed the meeting about another alternative route being developed by GMADA, which will shorten the route from 11.6 km to 8.5 mm. The Haryana Government has put up a proposal to examine the feasibility of using the Old Airport Terminal route for providing easy connectivity to passengers coming from Panchkula and HP.
