French firm suggests four modes of public transport

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 16

French firm Systra MVA has suggested four modes of public transport for Chandigarh in its interim report for comprehensive mobility plan for the city submitted to the Administration recently.

Sources said the report suggested a combination of light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit system (BRTS), modern tram and monorail as the possible modes of transport for three corridors.

While the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) six years ago suggested Metro for the city, it has found no place in the French firm’s report.

The sources said instead of Metro, the report preferred tram over other modes of transport for the city. It has also suggested that monorail is cheaper than Metro.

The Administration has engaged the French company to decide the future modes of transport for the city after surveying the traffic volume on city roads.

After carrying out the detailed study of traffic volume till 2031 on different routes, the report suggested three main corridors.

According to the report, Corridor 1 has been identified from Mullanpur to Panchkula. The corridor starts from Mullanpur and will pass through Madhya Marg in Chandigarh, Chandigarh-Panchkula road, Golf Course, Sector 3, Panchkula, and will end in Sector 24, Panchkula. The PPHPD on this corridor is 7,900. Corridor 2 will start from Sector 60, Mohali, in the south-west of Chandigarh to Sector 1. It will cover Jan Marg starting from Capitol Complex and end at Mohali bypass road in SAS Nagar. The PPHPD on the corridor is 6,300. Corridor 3 will pass through Sector 25 in the north-west of Chandigarh to Zirakpur. This corridor will cover Dakshin Marg, Industrial Area, Phase 2, Airport area and Zirakpur. The PPHPD on the corridor is 4,300.

The report suggests tram, bus rapid transport system (BRTS), light rail transit (LRT) and monorail for Corridor 1, tram, BRTS and monorail for Corridor 2 and bus with high level of service (BHLS), cable car, tram, BRTS or monorail for the Corridor 3. Corridor 1 will cover population from Panchkula, Chandigarh and the new city of Mullanpur, while Corridor 2 will cover population in the south-west of Chandigarh and Corridor 3 will cover population in Chandigarh and Zirakpur.

BL Sharma, Transport Secretary of the UT Administration, said: “The firm has submitted an interim report . We have asked it to give the final report of the mobility plan. After receiving the report, we will decide which option will be best for the city. At the present stage, no decision regarding any mode of transport was taken”.

Three main corridors suggested

The Administration has engaged the French company to decide the future modes of transport for the city after surveying the traffic volume on city roads. After carrying out the detailed study of traffic volume till 2031 on different routes, the report suggested three main corridors.

Trams best suited for Chandigarh: Report

While reviewing the options for modes of transport in view of their visual impact, the report finds that trams are best suited for a heritage city like Chandigarh. As far as monorail is concerned, it says that the cost of the system is cheaper than Metro. On BRTS, the report said wide infrastructure is required, which can contribute to divide the city. Its visual impact may thus be quite negative. LRT system has a stronger visual impact than the tram system. The infrastructure it requires may spoil the perspective or hide heritage buildings.