Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari bats for Metro in tricity

To ease traffic congestion, city MP Manish Tewari has again advocated for Metro rail in the tricity.

Tewari on Tuesday presided over a meeting of the transport sub-committee of the UT administrator’s advisory council. He said the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) was essential for integrating the tricity as it will act as an economic and employment multiplier.

During the meeting, Tewari suggested that the Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA) must look at the transportation needs of Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and New Chandigarh in a 30-year perspective.

“It will be impossible to commute without a Metro in 10 years,” he said.

During a visit to the city in November, Union minister for power and housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar had directed the UT administration to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed Metro project despite lower-than-expected ridership projections.

Expressing reservations about the viability of Metro in the city, the minister had cited the need for an assessment of its ridership potential. He had stated that a DPR would be prepared, but given the low ridership figures, alternatives like a pod taxi system would also be explored. Even if the capital expenditure was managed initially, the operational costs would also be taken into account, he had stated.

The minister noted that the feasibility of the Metro system for the city would be analysed, given the heritage status of the city.

Earlier, RITES, a subsidiary of the Railways, had recommended a two-coach Metro system for the tricity.

In its draft alternatives analysis report (AAR), RITES has recommended that the Metro (2 coach) system emerged as the most viable alternative mass rapid transport system (MRTS) to meet the expected mass transport needs of the tricity on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative screening carried out by the agency concerned.