Integrated transport system soon in Chennai
Posted on: 04/Jan/2019 4:11:37 PM
After getting the government assent 8 years ago and after getting published in the gazette, soon on 16th January 2019, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Authority shall roll out the rules and introduce the Multi-modal transport system a reality.
The Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit announced the same in the State Assembly recently.
So, how does the commuter gets benefited? Upon proper implementation, it will be easy for the commuters to switch from one system to the other. For example, one would find it comfortable to shift from Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation to Mass Rapid Transit System. This is possible because all of these transport systems will fall under one roof and work together. Following clear notifications about CUMTA rules, there will be one unanimous travel card to get used at almost all the different modes of transport.
The CUMTA Act – it aims at structuring a comfortable transport policy where the Chennai Metropolitan Area follows the National Urban Transport Policy. This had got the Governor’s assent back in November 2010. It has also got published in TN Gazette Extraordinary in December 2010. They however remained only on paper and did not get notified anywhere.
This resulted in the authorities not being able to integrate the different public mass passenger transport modes via routing, scheduling, feeder services, common ticketing and more that facilitates hassle-free commuting.
In 2018, this CUMTA turned to be a topic of urgency as the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA had got into an agreement with the Government of India. The JICA came forward to fund a sum of Rs 500 crore towards this integrated transport system.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority had devised a master plan where it states that there is no coordination among various transportation networks like suburban railways, metro highway department, and mass rapid transit system.
The Chennai Metropolitan area involves ten agencies to manage traffic and transportation. They come under the governance of different ministries and departments.
CUMTA
This shall function as a monopoly to set up different kinds of traffic measures. This includes promoting public mass passenger transporting, and regulating their functioning, implementing traffic infrastructure and transportation infrastructure, and so on.
CUMTA shall work out to set up integrated transport planning. The individual agencies can get guided by the CUMTA.
Similar system across the world
STIF is such an integratd system where there is a unified authority for transport. They stand responsible for complete transportation needs across Paris including all the kinds of ground transporting.
TFL or the Transport for London is also an integrated system where it is the authority for the entire transport system in London. They stand responsible towards planning and working out the transportation needs in the city where there are more than 24 million commuters on a daily basis.
LTA or the Land Transport Authority of Singapore stands responsible regulating and developing land transport.
- CUMTA will constantly monitor various traffic measures and implement whichever necessary
- It shall promote and encourage mass public transport modes
- It will regulate the various transport systems for the mass public
- It shall regulate all the different kinds of transport systems
- The needed infrastructure of Chennai Metropolitan Area will be created
- It will provide a single integrated travel card to serve various kinds of transport services
- It ultimately provides better connectivity and ease of commuting from office to retail places to houses.
