A slew of passenger-friendly projects introduced in the transport sector after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa assumed office in 2011
After Chief Minister Jayalalithaa assumed office for the third term in 2011, a slew of passenger-friendly projects were announced in the transport sector. Metrol Rail second phase is on; Mono Rail will also become a reality in few years enhancing city’s public transport system several notches. As for the passengers, auto meters, small buses in the city’s suburbs and ‘Amma’ mineral water for passengers have benefitted millions.
Even as you are reading this, the Metro Rail has started its sorties on the elevated stretch from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar on a daily basis giving the city the glimpse of sophisticated, urban transport systems.
A couple of months down the line, four sleek coaches coated in bluish-silver will majestically fly through the city carrying thousands of passengers every hour. As a precursor to this, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa flagged off the test run for the first train that arrived from Brazil recently.
Spread over 45 km with 32 stations, the project that started in 2009 with a budget of Rs.14,600 crore has kept pace over the past five years. While 70 per cent of work has been done in the elevated corridor, the underground stretch has reached 40 per cent completion, officials said. When it becomes fully operational in 2016, about seven lakh passengers would travel in Metro Rail, contributing five per cent to the urban transport.
The key here is the integrat es at Airport, the Tirusulum junction turns into crucial transport hub enhancing connectivity for air passengers by creating an integration of bus, suburban and Metro Rail.
Reducing travel time
Further, to replicate the success in Delhi, a check-in counter will be created at Chennai Central Metro station that would enable passengers to check-in at station, take a train to airport, complete the security procedures and board the flight. Another two major junctions include the Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount, where other rail systems functioning in the city meet the Metro Rail. Such integrations improve mobility to the point of saving commuters about 50-75 per cent reduction in their travel time, say officials. So, if you hop onto to the Metro Rail, it may take just 45 minutes to travel from Washermanpet to Airport which will otherwise take over two hours by bus, depending on the traffic.
Breakthrough in urban transportation
Meanwhile, even as the Phase I of Metro Rail is shaping up well, the State government has announced Phase II of the project and a monorail system for the city. While the Phase II of Metro Rail will be spread over 76 km of the city with three corridors, the monorail system will cover 41 km with two corridors. Here, Metro Rail and Monorail will meet at Vadapalani and Kathipara junctions. Should these projects make headway, integrate and work competitively, the city will reach a breakthrough in urban transportation.
Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), another proven public transport system that is working well in cities like Ahmedabad could well become a reality in the city. According to transport officials, the BRTS model was being talked about at higher echelons of power.
The government can take credit to three passenger friendly measures. In September 2013, the Chief Minister introduced ‘Amma’ mineral water which is being sold at Rs.10 per litre in bus depots and stands across the State. According to transport department officials, the water bottles, packaged in a 2.47-acre facility in Gummidipoondi, sells like hot cakes. The unit processes three lakh litres of water every day. “People buy our water bottles as the quality is better and it costs lesser than the other mineral water bottles packaged by private players,” said a Transport Department official.
After Chief Minister Jayalalithaa assumed office for the third term in 2011, a slew of passenger-friendly projects were announced in the transport sector. Metrol Rail second phase is on; Mono Rail will also become a reality in few years enhancing city’s public transport system several notches. As for the passengers, auto meters, small buses in the city’s suburbs and ‘Amma’ mineral water for passengers have benefitted millions.
Even as you are reading this, the Metro Rail has started its sorties on the elevated stretch from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar on a daily basis giving the city the glimpse of sophisticated, urban transport systems.
A couple of months down the line, four sleek coaches coated in bluish-silver will majestically fly through the city carrying thousands of passengers every hour. As a precursor to this, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa flagged off the test run for the first train that arrived from Brazil recently.
Spread over 45 km with 32 stations, the project that started in 2009 with a budget of Rs.14,600 crore has kept pace over the past five years. While 70 per cent of work has been done in the elevated corridor, the underground stretch has reached 40 per cent completion, officials said. When it becomes fully operational in 2016, about seven lakh passengers would travel in Metro Rail, contributing five per cent to the urban transport.
The key here is the integrat es at Airport, the Tirusulum junction turns into crucial transport hub enhancing connectivity for air passengers by creating an integration of bus, suburban and Metro Rail.
Reducing travel time
Further, to replicate the success in Delhi, a check-in counter will be created at Chennai Central Metro station that would enable passengers to check-in at station, take a train to airport, complete the security procedures and board the flight. Another two major junctions include the Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount, where other rail systems functioning in the city meet the Metro Rail. Such integrations improve mobility to the point of saving commuters about 50-75 per cent reduction in their travel time, say officials. So, if you hop onto to the Metro Rail, it may take just 45 minutes to travel from Washermanpet to Airport which will otherwise take over two hours by bus, depending on the traffic.
Breakthrough in urban transportation
Meanwhile, even as the Phase I of Metro Rail is shaping up well, the State government has announced Phase II of the project and a monorail system for the city. While the Phase II of Metro Rail will be spread over 76 km of the city with three corridors, the monorail system will cover 41 km with two corridors. Here, Metro Rail and Monorail will meet at Vadapalani and Kathipara junctions. Should these projects make headway, integrate and work competitively, the city will reach a breakthrough in urban transportation.
Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), another proven public transport system that is working well in cities like Ahmedabad could well become a reality in the city. According to transport officials, the BRTS model was being talked about at higher echelons of power.
The government can take credit to three passenger friendly measures. In September 2013, the Chief Minister introduced ‘Amma’ mineral water which is being sold at Rs.10 per litre in bus depots and stands across the State. According to transport department officials, the water bottles, packaged in a 2.47-acre facility in Gummidipoondi, sells like hot cakes. The unit processes three lakh litres of water every day. “People buy our water bottles as the quality is better and it costs lesser than the other mineral water bottles packaged by private players,” said a Transport Department official.
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