The proposal to have a Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) for Chandigarh and its adjoining areas moved a step closure to execution with the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) presenting the draft Comprehensive Mobility Report (CMP) to the Chandigarh administration today.

The CMP highlights that the MRTS project, including Metro,  Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and Commuters Rail Service (CRS) has been estimated to be Rs 15,000 crore and will take four years to materialise, said RITES officials at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Secretary Sanjay Kumar.

At the meeting, RITES presented the CMP for Chandigarh Urban Complex keeping in mind the architectural and environmental considerations of the city. The plan covers aspects relating to Metro routes, BRT corridors, grade separators, railway overbridges, railway underbridge, integrated freight complex, parking facilities and cost revenue modes for the entire project. In order to provide seamless transportation connectivity to the commuters in the region, the Chandigarh administration and the states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab have jointly initiated the process to have a MRTS.

RITES has proposed that Metro will cover a distance of 52.4 km, out of which 40.4 km will be in Chandigarh and rest 12 km in Mohali. 15.8 km on Madhya Marg (Khuda Lahora-Housing Board-Manimajra-IT Park), 10 kms on Himalaya Marg(Sector 1-Sector 17 - Sector 43-Sector 51) and 14.6 km from Sector 26 - Industrial Area - Vikas Marg - Maloya - Dadumajra will be covered by the Metro system. The alignment from Transport Nagar to Manimajra and the alignment of Sector 26 to Dadumajra have been proposed on surface whereas rests of alignments have been proposed underground.

The underground system is likely to cost around Rs 320 crores per km whereas surface alignment is likely to cost Rs 140 crore per km. There will be around 50 stations, each after approximately 1 km. To begin with, frequency for Metro has been proposed at every 10 minutes, which could be reduced to three minutes with passage of time. The BRTS and the CRS will be covering 190.5 km and 190 km, respectively. A total of 11 corridors for BRTS system were mooted by RITES.

Sanjay Kumar suggested to RITES to create a catchment area for every station of Metro so that mini AC bus services could be planned for commuters using Metro system. He also asked RITES to submit a report on locations of bus queue shelters on V-3 roads along with the pedestrian under passes. A metro system will take care of the transport needs of the tricity and go a long way to help maintain Chandigarh’s orderly appearance. Once the MRTS project comes into existence, the pressure on the roads will decrease drastically, added the finance secretary.

Integrated ticketing system would be set up for the MRTS by which people would be able to use any mode of transport under MRTS.

When asked on the financial model, Sanjay Kumar said the administration looked at the Metro project more as a social commitment to provide reasonable, good quality transport system and reducing vehicular movement on the roads.

Chandigarh has the largest number of vehicles per capita. Wide, well maintained roads and ample parking space all over the city, make it convenient to use private vehicles for local transport.

Public buses run by the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU), an undertaking of the Chandigarh Administration, provide local transport as well as inter-state transport services.

The Chandigarh Traffic Police oversees the implementation of the traffic rules, and is widely credited for a fairly orderly traffic system. The Traffic Park in Sector 23 introduces children, rickshaw-pullers and new drivers to traffic safety.

Rickshaws are common for traveling short distances, especially by school-going children, housewives and the elderly. Auto-rickshaws are limited, and most often ply to and from the ISBT. Most heavy traffic roads now have rickshaw lanes, which the rickshaw-pullers must adhere to compulsorily.

The city also boasts of a well established network of modern radio cabs using cars like Tata Indigo, Fiat Siena and Maruti Esteem.

Chandigarh is well connected by road. The two main National Highways (NH) connecting Chandigarh with the rest of the country are: NH 22 (Ambala - Kalka - Shimla - Kinnaur) and NH 21 (Chandigarh - Leh). Chandigarh has two Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT), one for the North, East and South located in Sector 17, which has regular bus services to most major cites in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, as well as the national capital Delhi, which is about 240 km away. And a second in Sector 43 for the Western section, mainly Punjab, some parts of Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir.

Chandigarh has a railway station located about 10 km. away from the ISBT. Regular train connections are available to the national capital New Delhi and to some other junctions like Kalka, Ambala, Amritsar, Bhiwani,Lucknow, Patna,Howrah, Mumbai, Chennai, Trivandrum and Sri Ganganagar.

Chandigarh also has a domestic airport located nearly 12 kilometers from the ISBT. Its name is Chandigarh Airport. Jet Airways, JetLite,Air India, and Kingfisher Airlines operate regular flights from Chandigarh to New Delhi and Mumbai. The airport is under process of becoming an international airport and is negotiating with several airlines including SilkAir and Kingfisher for international flights to Singapore and Bangkok, among other South East Asian countries.

In the near future, the city will also see a Metro Rail, and an international airport. They are both approved by the governments, and are now at the design step to finalize the project design.