Metro Service

‘Mass transport systems key to decongest roads'

V. Sajeev Kumar

Kochi, Oct. 4: 

The apex chamber Assocham has said that a network of mass transport systems is imperative to avert urban vehicular traffic as the number of cities with more than 10 lakh people will increase from 48 to 68 in the next two decades.

There are seven mega cities at present each with a population of 40 lakh.

There will be a huge demand for mass transit rail as each of the 13 major cities will have a population of 40 lakh by 2030, said Assocham in its recent study titled Vision 2030 for Emerging Cities of India.

Mumbai is likely to have 3.3 crore people by 2030, Delhi 2.6 crore, Kolkata 2.3 crore, Chennai 1.1 crore, Bangalore and Pune one crore each followed by Hyderabad 98 lakh, Ahmedabad 84 lakh, Surat 74 lakh, Jaipur 54 lakh, Nagpur 52 lakh, Kanpur and Vadodara 42 lakh each.

Cities will account for 69 per cent of the country's GDP in the next two decades. There will be critical political impact of this urbanisation which should be studied by all policymakers and other stakeholders, said the study.

The most critical issue in times to come will be efficient transport systems to decongest burgeoning urban vehicular traffic volume. Metro Rail has the potential to bring all-round benefits to businesses, the environment and people from all walks of life.

It is evolving as an industry on its own, and creating space for new services and jobs.

The big challenge for urban planners is to cope with seven mega cities with 20 per cent of India's population and demanding 40 per cent of total investments projected, according to the study. Metro Rail lines are destined to become focal point of transit growth and network infrastructure at the centre of each mega city.

The share of public transport at 75 per cent by 2030 will reduce fuel demand by 100 million tonnes equivalent. But investment requirements for urban transport development in 87 cities are estimated at Rs 4 lakh crore.

Along with planning, standardisation of Metro Rail equipment will be needed so that mass production of coaches, signalling and station design could be set in motion to gain economies of scale. So the Government should move quickly to establish the Metro as the best mass transport means in urbanising India as a policy, the study said.