Chennai set to get a 25-year Comprehensive Mobility Plan
Smart urban planning, with efficient mobility being a critical part, is not an option but a necessity. With that cognisance, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (
CUMTA
) is devising a 25-year Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area (5904 sq.km) with the key aim of efficient, seamless public transport for citizens, which in the process will also decongest roads and improve road safety, especially for pedestrians.
'Urban roads are not unlimited. It's a limited source. So, our main idea is to promote public transport options and provide seamless connectivity even for the last mile. They carry more people per unit road space and energy consumed,' I Jeyakumar, IRTS, Member Secretary and CEO, CUMTA tells ETAuto.
CUMTA is an authority under the Tamil Nadu government, chaired by the Chief Minister. It is a coordinating authority for all transport related departments/ agencies in the Chennai Metropolitan Area spanning 5904 sq km, including the districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Ranipet. The authority has a team consisting of technical experts hired from the private market and officers on deputation from various government departments for effective coordination. The team is led by a Member Secretary who is also the Chief Executive Officer of CUMTA.
Mobility revamp
As part of the CMP, CUMTA says 50,000 households were surveyed in this region to gain inputs for the masterplan.
'Basically, it's to understand the travel pattern, how people are actually moving, what modes they are using, which are the predominant modes, gaps in the system. We do a diagnostic analysis based on a lot of data and then we come up with the proposals,' says Poonam Sabikhi, Sr. Transport Planner, CUMTA.
The survey data showed that 34 per cent of the population in the core city commute by two-wheelers, 7 per cent by cars, and another 7 per cent by cabs and auto-rickshaws. Jeyakumar argues that inadequate number of public transport buses is also leading to people choosing private vehicles, which, in turn, also contributes to traffic congestion and parking issues.
Therefore, public transport, footpath and road infrastructure improvements are the topmost proposals of the CMP. Identifying where bus augmentation has to be done, priority lanes or dedicated lanes for buses, locations for terminal depots are some of the key goals. Explaining the larger goal, Sabikhi says 'We are looking at how we can have an integrated transport system. And all these systems like bus, metro or suburban trains, are still working in silos. We need to have an integration among them.'
One key step to achieve the integration is a ticketing app which CUMTA is developing. Once ready, citizens can avail transport services across all three modes using a common QR code generated ticket.
Double-deckers could also make an entry into Chennai's public transport landscape. The more space efficient mobility option is being proposed for at least a few routes. This would also help address the significant deficit between the demand and supply of buses in Chennai. CUMTA estimates that 6,500 - 7,000 buses are required in the city, whereas the current fleet strength is 3,300 buses (including the ones out of service temporarily).
'We are recommending (double-decker) for certain routes. The number of regular buses have to be increased first,' says Jeyakumar.
In another significant move towards improving urban mobility, the Government of Tamil Nadu has approved the parking policy for the Chennai Metropolitan Area prepared by CUMTA
.
A key reform introduced in the parking policy is planning, management and implementation of parking under one agency. Another initiative under development is Smart Parking Management in Anna Nagar as a pilot project. For the implementation of Smart Parking, CUMTA is developing a common parking app for the fee collection, monitoring and enforcement. The entire system will be centrally monitored by the Parking Management Unit at CUMTA.
Pedestrian-friendly spaces
Beyond public transport, the CMP is also targeting improvement in pedestrian mobility, by identifying ways to improve the footpath network. 'We have identified the clusters, because that is also a huge network. So again, on a priority basis, it should be taken up first. The first objective is that all the transit stations, like bus terminals, Metro and suburban train stations should have accessibility by footpath,' says Sabikhi. Access to and from footpaths for wheelchair users is also being factored in in the proposals.
And, for safer mobility, CUMTA says it is working on standardising processes for accident data. Granular data is critical to analyse trends, which in turn can help in devising ways to address the root causes of fatal accidents. 'Most accidents are written off as human errors. But if you don't know the causes of these fatal accidents from a vehicle or road infrastructure point of view, then how are you going to fix it? So, first we are working with the police to collect good quality road accident data. Based on the accident analysis, we can then understand the vehicle and infrastructure factors and advise the respective agencies to rectify designs or infrastructure through a scientific and data-driven approach,' says Ravishankar Rajaraman, Road Safety Expert at CUMTA.
Given the scale of the mobility plan, and the different challenges in its execution, CUMTA plans to line up its targets in terms of 5-year periods. Now, the first phase for the CMP, after being cleared by its CEO, is to get the approvals from the Executive Committee (group of Secretaries and Headed by Chief Secretary), and then the final approval of the CM.
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Chennai set to get a 25-year Comprehensive Mobility Plan
Smart urban planning, with efficient mobility being a critical part, is not an option but a necessity. With that cognisance, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority ( CUMTA ) is devising a 25-year Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area (5904 with the key aim of efficient, seamless public transport for citizens, which in the process will also decongest roads and improve road safety, especially for pedestrians. 'Urban roads are not unlimited. It's a limited source. So, our main idea is to promote public transport options and provide seamless connectivity even for the last mile. They carry more people per unit road space and energy consumed,' I Jeyakumar, IRTS, Member Secretary and CEO, CUMTA tells ETAuto. CUMTA is an authority under the Tamil Nadu government, chaired by the Chief Minister. It is a coordinating authority for all transport related departments/ agencies in the Chennai Metropolitan Area spanning 5904 sq km, including the districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Ranipet. The authority has a team consisting of technical experts hired from the private market and officers on deputation from various government departments for effective coordination. The team is led by a Member Secretary who is also the Chief Executive Officer of CUMTA. Mobility revamp As part of the CMP, CUMTA says 50,000 households were surveyed in this region to gain inputs for the masterplan. 'Basically, it's to understand the travel pattern, how people are actually moving, what modes they are using, which are the predominant modes, gaps in the system. We do a diagnostic analysis based on a lot of data and then we come up with the proposals,' says Poonam Sabikhi, Sr. Transport Planner, CUMTA. The survey data showed that 34 per cent of the population in the core city commute by two-wheelers, 7 per cent by cars, and another 7 per cent by cabs and auto-rickshaws. Jeyakumar argues that inadequate number of public transport buses is also leading to people choosing private vehicles, which, in turn, also contributes to traffic congestion and parking issues. Therefore, public transport, footpath and road infrastructure improvements are the topmost proposals of the CMP. Identifying where bus augmentation has to be done, priority lanes or dedicated lanes for buses, locations for terminal depots are some of the key goals. Explaining the larger goal, Sabikhi says 'We are looking at how we can have an integrated transport system. And all these systems like bus, metro or suburban trains, are still working in silos. We need to have an integration among them.' One key step to achieve the integration is a ticketing app which CUMTA is developing. Once ready, citizens can avail transport services across all three modes using a common QR code generated ticket. Double-deckers could also make an entry into Chennai's public transport landscape. The more space efficient mobility option is being proposed for at least a few routes. This would also help address the significant deficit between the demand and supply of buses in Chennai. CUMTA estimates that 6,500 - 7,000 buses are required in the city, whereas the current fleet strength is 3,300 buses (including the ones out of service temporarily). 'We are recommending (double-decker) for certain routes. The number of regular buses have to be increased first,' says Jeyakumar. In another significant move towards improving urban mobility, the Government of Tamil Nadu has approved the parking policy for the Chennai Metropolitan Area prepared by CUMTA . A key reform introduced in the parking policy is planning, management and implementation of parking under one agency. Another initiative under development is Smart Parking Management in Anna Nagar as a pilot project. For the implementation of Smart Parking, CUMTA is developing a common parking app for the fee collection, monitoring and enforcement. The entire system will be centrally monitored by the Parking Management Unit at CUMTA. Pedestrian-friendly spaces Beyond public transport, the CMP is also targeting improvement in pedestrian mobility, by identifying ways to improve the footpath network. 'We have identified the clusters, because that is also a huge network. So again, on a priority basis, it should be taken up first. The first objective is that all the transit stations, like bus terminals, Metro and suburban train stations should have accessibility by footpath,' says Sabikhi. Access to and from footpaths for wheelchair users is also being factored in in the proposals. And, for safer mobility, CUMTA says it is working on standardising processes for accident data. Granular data is critical to analyse trends, which in turn can help in devising ways to address the root causes of fatal accidents. 'Most accidents are written off as human errors. But if you don't know the causes of these fatal accidents from a vehicle or road infrastructure point of view, then how are you going to fix it? So, first we are working with the police to collect good quality road accident data. Based on the accident analysis, we can then understand the vehicle and infrastructure factors and advise the respective agencies to rectify designs or infrastructure through a scientific and data-driven approach,' says Ravishankar Rajaraman, Road Safety Expert at CUMTA. Given the scale of the mobility plan, and the different challenges in its execution, CUMTA plans to line up its targets in terms of 5-year periods. Now, the first phase for the CMP, after being cleared by its CEO, is to get the approvals from the Executive Committee (group of Secretaries and Headed by Chief Secretary), and then the final approval of the CM.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
CUMTA's ‘Smart Parking Management Plan' for Anna Nagar evokes mixed response in Chennai
During a public consultation session held in Chennai on June 14, 2025 at the Regional Deputy Commissioner's Office (Central) to introduce a pilot project that will help regulate parking across roughly 25 km of Anna Nagar's roads, the residents wondered how the plan would work considering the highly-commercialised nature of the locality. Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has conducted a study, according to which, over 60% of road space in some parts of Anna Nagar is encroached by way of haphazard parking, thus reducing the space for pedestrian and vehicular movement. Therefore, CUMTA, along with officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP), has planned to implement the 'Smart Parking Management Plan' on a pilot-basis in Anna Nagar from September. Project details As per the pilot project, around 2,000 parking slots are to be marked, with 70% on major roads such as the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Avenues, and the rest on internal roads like the 11th to 13th Main Roads. An average of 5,000 vehicles are parked in a day in the area, including over 3,000 during peak hours. Parking will be prohibited within 20 metres of bus stops and within 100 metres of schools. Designated pick-up and drop-off bays will be created at key locations to ensure safe access for commuters. Parking charges will be set at ₹60 per hour for trucks, ₹40 for cars and ₹20 for two-wheelers. The parking revenue thus generated is likely to be used for local mobility improvements such as better footpaths and signage, according to CUMTA's plan. A team of 100 trained marshals will monitor enforcement in two shifts, each covering about 500 metres. Marshals will use body cameras and surveillance tools. Non-payment for over three hours will result in wheel clamping; after six hours, vehicles may be towed under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Parking will not be allowed within 20 metres of bus stops or 100 metres of schools. Pick-up and drop-off bays will be marked. The plan will use camera-based management systems, mobile applications for digital payments, a centralised digital dashboard for real-time monitoring and trained parking marshals will be deployed on the ground for enforcement. 'Insights from the Anna Nagar pilot project will inform broader parking reforms across Chennai, supporting the city's vision for safer, more inclusive, and efficient streets,' a CUMTA official said. Public reaction At the meeting, residents, vendors, elected representatives and commercial stakeholders of Anna Nagar raised their concerns about enforcement of parking plans, street encroachments, relocation and the design of the upcoming plan. Sandhya, secretary of the Federation of Annanagar Residents Associations (FOARA), said the parking system outlined by officials looked thorough, but without strict enforcement, it might turn out ineffective. Issues such as encroachment of pavements and roads by parked vehicles, street vendors and stationing of heavy trucks along major avenues are rampant despite restrictions in place. 'If the current violations are not addressed first, how can a new system succeed?' she doubted. Sukumar, president of FOARA, suggested construction of a multi-level parking at Anna Nagar East bus stand (with a skywalk to Tower Park) near Thirumangalam Metro and at the Civil Supplies warehouse. Heavy vehicles should not be allowed to park on Anna Nagar 6th Avenue and the space should instead be used for two-wheelers and cars which ply more frequently, he urged He also objected to the designation of 5th Avenue and 15th Main Road as vending zones, stating that Anna Nagar is primarily a residential locality. To this, a vending committee member raised concerns about jobs. Ms. Sandhya responded that vending does not only entail selling fruits and veggies from carts — but also setting up of permanent stalls on pavements that may hinder pedestrian pathway. The public also sought better footpaths, removal of encroachments, management of street vending in residential areas and stricter building code enforcement. Public feedback will be considered, said CUMTA in a statement.
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Recommended stocks to buy today, 18 June, by India's leading market experts
The Indian stock market experienced a volatile session, opening positively but then staying in negative territory due to ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, specifically the US President's warning to Iran. Both the Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex saw early highs but ultimately closed lower, with a bearish candle forming on the Nifty daily chart, indicating a lack of strong buying. With most sectors closing in the red and mid-cap and small-cap segments facing challenges, investors are seeking strategies to generate returns amidst these uncertain market conditions. Here are three stocks to trade, as recommended by NeoTrader's Raja Venkatraman: Why it's recommended: A strong set of Q4 numbers reported ensured that the trends are able to recover. The company also secured strong platform-led client wins in the recent quarter, including full-platform commitments. The long body bullish candle seen on Monday augurs well for the prices. This has led to an improvement in the sentiment. With prices holding firm we can consider going long. Key metrics: P/E: 95.10 | 52-week high: ₹2,190 | Volume: 1.66M. Technical analysis: Support at ₹1,450, resistance at ₹2,150. Risk factors: Market volatility, cyberattacks, and regulatory headwinds. Buy at: CMP and dips to ₹1,780 Target price: ₹1,975-2,050 in 1 month Stop loss: ₹1,760 Also Read: Can this small-cap auto ancillary firm's premium pivot deliver big gains? Why it's recommended: SOMANYCERA's move over the last few days shows that after some muted Q4 numbers, a considerable jump indicates that the trends after being under pressure are now recovering. However, with the nature of the prices seen in the last few days, we can comprehend that the newsflow has already been priced in. The volatile moves seen in the last 3 months are now seen giving up, indicating a possibility of some upward bounce as a rounding pattern is seen forming with volumes. Can look to go long. Key metrics: P/E: 28.31 | 52-week high: ₹872.60 | Volume: 164.02K Technical analysis: Support at ₹477, resistance at ₹685 Risk factors: Geopolitical uncertainties, market trends Buy at: CMP and dips to ₹542 Target price: ₹640-655 in 1 month Stop loss: ₹535 Also Read: Five undervalued power stocks worth adding to your watchlist Why it's recommended: The counter has been steadily moving higher, forming higher highs and higher lows, holding the TS & KS Bands for the past few days. After a brief decline, the stock managed to gather support within the bands to produce a turnaround. After the recent test of the TS & KS Bands, a strong closing on Friday, we can look at some positive vibes to emerge. Key metrics: P/E: 19.29 | 52-week high: ₹256.99 | Volume: 1.51M. Technical analysis: Support at ₹225, resistance at ₹295. Risk factors: Fluctuating demand from domestic tractor segment, which is experiencing pressure due to various factors. Buy at: above ₹261 and dips to ₹248 Target price: ₹279-288 in 1 month Stop loss: ₹243 Here are two stocks to trade today, as recommended by Trade Brains Portal It is well-established in the international market and offers a wide range of products. Well-known brands like Pulsar, KTM, Triumph, Chetak, Dominar, and Avenger are among them. In terms of volume, it ranks second in the domestic motorcycle market and is the biggest exporter of 2Ws from India. With a presence in more than 70 countries, it had a 46.3% market share in the export market and an 18.2% market share in motorcycle sales in India in FY24. Due to high sales of both vehicles and replacement parts, the company's revenue surpassed ₹50,000 for the first time in FY25. The reported income from operations increased by 13.65% from ₹44,870 crore in FY24 to ₹50,995 crore in FY25. With a robust domestic performance in H1 and a comparatively weak H2 that was more than offset by the strong export comeback, volumes increased 7% year over year, demonstrating the adaptability of the company's business strategy to shifting market conditions. In the fourth quarter of FY25, the company sold 943,563 two-wheelers and 159,371 commercial vehicles. In May 2025, there were 332,370 2-wheeler sales and 52,251 commercial vehicle sales; hence, the total sales volume grew by 8% YoY in May. In the upcoming years, the company anticipates the export business unit to increase by at least 20% annually. The company is expected to spend ₹6-7 billion on capital expenditures in FY25-FY26, mostly for maintenance activities, and has committed to delivering ₹1,000 crore of capital expenditures under the PLI plan over a 5-year horizon. They were permitted to increase their export capacity to 50,000 units or more annually by Q4 FY26 for their Dominar brand, which has surpassed several well-known European brands in the personal segment. The business has approved a capital infusion of about ₹2,300 crore into Bajaj Auto Credit Limited, of which ₹955 crore has already been invested. By the end of the next year, it hopes to have invested ₹1,400 crore. This partnership will help the company to overcome the high dependence on the cyclical domestic tractor market. Strong parentage helped the company to increase operational efficiency and capacity expansion, and 70% of exports come from the Kubota network. The company has a market share of 11.8% in the domestic tractor industry. As of March 2025, the agri machinery segment contributes 83% of the total revenue, whereas construction equipment contributes 17%. As of FY25, revenue from operations stood at ₹10,243.9 crore, up by 4.5% as of FY25. EBITDA stood at ₹1,165.3 crore, up by 3% YoY, with a stable EBITDA margin of 11.4% as of FY25. The company saw a jump of 36.6% YoY in tractor volume in exports, compared to industry growth of 4%, as of Q4FY25. Tractor volumes stood at 1,15,554 units as of FY25, up by 1% YoY. The company sold its railway business to Sona BLW Precision Forgings Limited at a lump-sum cash consideration of ₹1,600 crore on 23 October 2024. The company is planning to invest ₹4,500-5,000 crores over the next 3-4 years for setting up a greenfield plant. The greenfield plant will enable the company to integrate various manufacturing processes, leading to an increase in capacity across different verticals for tractor manufacturing, CE manufacturing, spare parts manufacturing, and a dedicated line for manufacturing engines for Kubota. Management expects the tractor industry to grow continuously due to various reasons, like favorable macroeconomic conditions such as a good rabi harvest, better crop prices, and more than average rainfall in 2025, and a sufficient water level in the reservoir. Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India Raja Venkatraman is co-founder, NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223. MarketSmith India is a stock research platform and advisory service focused on the Indian stock market. Trade name: William O'Neil India Pvt. Ltd; Sebi Registration No.: INH000015543 Trade Brains Portal is a stock analysis platform. Its trade name is Dailyraven Technologies Pvt. Ltd, and its Sebi-registered research analyst registration number is INH000015729. Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
