Chennai: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has termed the State Government's proposed monorail project "unviable". Mr. Ramadoss said that the advanced countries used the monorail system only for short distances but the Tamil Nadu government had proposed a 300-kilometre network for Chennai. Even Japan used it only as a feeder service, he said at a seminar on public transport systems organised here on Saturday by the voluntary organisation Pasumai Thayagam.

The approximate cost of laying one kilometre of the monorail network would be Rs. 162 crore, the Minister said. The fares would also have to be high, thus making the service unaffordable, he added.

In contrast to the monorail, the metro rail project abandoned by the State was a far better option that would serve more number of people and reduce congestion on roads, Mr. Ramadoss said. Noting that vehicle explosion on roads was a serious threat to road safety, the Minister urged the Government to strictly carry out the required procedure before issuing licences. This could prevent a number of road accidents, he noted.

Bus rapid transport

Dinesh Mohan, coordinator of the Transportation Research and Injury Programme, IIT Delhi, also said that the monorail was an extremely costly option of public transport. Making a case for bus rapid transport systems, Mr. Mohan said that it was a cheap and efficient method that only required better traffic management.

"Even in Delhi and Kolkata, the metro rail is under-utilised. A rapid transport system with a dedicated traffic lane only for buses is the best option for cities," he said. A bus rapid transport system would require very little investment as it did not require a completely new infrastructure network to be put in place. Further, advanced information technology could be used to schedule transport-on-demand bus systems to meet needs during peak hours, Mr. Mohan added.

Urban infrastructure expert Anandarajan, former professor at Anna University, said that Chennai had a vehicle population of 17 lakh, of which 13 lakh was two-wheelers. He called for an integrated bus and rail system to push up the use of public transport and reduce dependence on two-wheelers and cars.

Madras Institute of Development Studies Professor S. Janakarajan stressed on planned development for the city's peri-urban areas, which were growing rapidly. "If roads are congested when a person commutes from a suburb to the city for work, the hassle he has to go through reduces overall productivity levels," he said.

M.G. Devasahayam, trustee of voluntary organisation SUSTAIN, said that the average age of the 2,773 buses in Chennai is 7.62 years. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation must procure new high-capacity buses such as vestibule buses. Shobha Iyer, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group, underscored the need for affordable transport for the poor. She added that pedestrians and cyclists must be included in the transport development plan.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail