Chandigarh admn finalises proposal for Metro corridors

Three weeks after Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab accorded in-principle approval to the comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for the tricity prepared by RITES, the UT administration has finalised the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) plan after some tweaks to the proposed Metro corridors.

The final Metro network comprises two phases, spread across Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and also Zirakpur, New Chandigarh and Pinjore. As proposed by RITES, it steers clear of City Beautiful’s heritage sectors – Sector 1 to 30.

In the first phase, which will be developed between 2027 and 2037, the MRTS will run from Sarangpur to Panchkula ISBT; Rock Garden to Zirakpur ISBT via Mohali Industrial Area and airport; and from Grain Market Chowk, Sector 39, to Transport Nagar, Sector 26.

The second phase, to be developed after 2037, will cover four routes: Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Extension; Paraul, New Chandigarh to Sarangpur; Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar; and Zirakpur ISBT to Pinjore ISBT.

By next week, the report will be sent to the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for the final approval.

In line with RITES proposal for a robust local bus network, to encourage more people to switch to public transport and ensure smooth flow of traffic, UT has also finalised seven straight bus corridors criss-crossing through the tricity.

RITES had found that these seven corridors — Sector 43 ISBT to New Chandigarh; Sector 17 ISBT to Mansa Devi Complex; Sector 43 ISBT to Panchkula ISBT; Sector 17 ISBT to Kharar ISBT; PGIMER/Dadumajra to Zirakpur ISBT; PGIMER to ISBT Panchkula; ISBT Kharar to ISBT Zirakpur — have the maximum traffic flow.

UT home secretary Nitin Yadav said, “The CMP report has been finalised after incorporating suggestions from stakeholders and will be forwarded to the ministry next week. Once we get approval from the central government, we will promptly begin work on the bus corridors to streamline traffic in the tricity.”

Another official said under MRTS, the tricity would most likely get Metrolite, a light rail urban transit system, as the Centre had planned Metrolite for Tier-II cities with lower ridership projection.

Haryana, Punjab suggestions incorporated

Nearly 14 years after it was first mooted, the Punjab and Haryana governments, and the Chandigarh administration, had given the Metro project their in-principle nod during a meeting on CMP on March 16.

While RITES had proposed a 39-km Metro network, spread across Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, at the meeting, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had opined that Panchkula’s Pinjore and Kalka towns should also have Metro rail connectivity from Chandigarh and Zirakpur, respectively, under the CMP.

The Punjab principal secretary of housing and urban development, Ajoy Kumar Sinha, had also advised connecting Airport Chowk in Mohali to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Phase 1 itself. Both suggestions have been incorporated in the plan prepared by UT.

During the meeting, the Punjab government had stated that the overall transport improvement proposals with respect to Mohali were in order and any further suggestions will be communicated to UT within a week, but the state is yet to communicate its suggestions to the administration.

The mobility plan readied by RITES has been divided into short, medium and long-term transport improvement proposals, with focus on improving parking management, junctions, pedestrian infrastructure, road infrastructure, local bus system, intermodal interchanges and integrated freight complexes.

With a population of over 12 lakh and 15 lakh registered vehicles, Chandigarh has the highest density of vehicles per household in the country, leading to acute traffic problems. Then, over 2 lakh vehicles moving on tricity and inter-state routes also cross the city daily, exacerbating the congestion.

The comprehensive mobility plan, allotted to RITES Limited in December 2021, is aimed at resolving this burgeoning problem.

Metro plan rejected by central govt previously

Notably, RITES had also recommended Metro in its first report readied in 2009. But eight years later, the Union home ministry had rejected the project in 2017 and asked the UT administration to look for alternative models of transport. The ministry’s contention was that Metro was not viable in Chandigarh due to the city’s size. Also, its ₹14,000-crore cost was not financially feasible.