RITES to prepare fresh comprehensive mobility plan for Chandigarh

Chandigarh, India (Urban Transport News): After scraping Metro, Monorail, BRTS, Ropeway and Skybus Transit System Plan, Chandigarh administration has now decided to go in for a fresh study on the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the city. Due to scrapping metro rail plans, the administration has not been able to opt for any other alternative, such as monorail, Skybus or Metrolite yet.

The decision was taken after UT officials held a meeting with representatives of the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES Ltd) this week. The RITES made a presentation on its Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) made in 2009.

“The RITES had prepared a report on the city’s mobility needs in 2009. But this has been found outdated now. The city’s needs have changed dramatically in the last more than a decade. Also, the guidelines set by the housing and urban affairs ministry for the MRTS project have changed, which necessitates a fresh look at the problem. Therefore, the administration will go in for a new study,” said UT Official.

Earlier, RITES had proposed a Metro Rail system for the city that would cover a distance of 52.4 km, of which 40.4 km will be in Chandigarh and the rest in Mohali. The alignments were proposed both elevated as well as underground. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) had prepared the detailed project report (DPR) of the first phase of the project.

Confirming the development, UT adviser Dharam Pal said:

The 2009 report was prepared on the basis of old guidelines and old data, which are outdated now. So, the whole thing has to be planned and prepared as per the latest guidelines if we have to seek funding from the Union government. We have decided for a comprehensive fresh study.

He has directed UT officials to start the process for the framing of a new study, preferably by the RITES as it has already conducted a study in the city.

“It will take another month or so before we engage an agency for the study. We have to decide as to whether it would be through nomination or we have to float tenders. I have asked the officials to work on these issues,” he added.

“The MRTS option will be decided on the basis of the needs and traffic load of the city. The agency will have to study the peak hour traffic and congested routes. The cost aspects will also need to be studied before the option can be decided,” he further said.

“At this point in time, we have not taken on board the neighbouring governments. However, the administration will seek their cooperation by seeking a meeting of chief secretaries of the neighbouring states under the aegis of the UT administrator,” he said.

The proposal for running the metro rail system in Chandigarh was dropped after opposition from Member of Parliament Kirron Kher, architects and conservationists. Later, in 2017, the central government had declared Metro was not viable for the city.