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Time of India
a day ago
- Automotive
- 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.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
100 traffic marshals to curb encroachments and double parking menace in Anna Nagar
Chennai: To bring order to Anna Nagar's chaotic streets, the state govt will deploy traffic marshals from Sept as part of a new Smart Parking Management Plan. The marshals — trained and authorised to fine and clamp vehicles — will patrol key stretches to curb rampant double parking, footpath encroachments, and unregulated roadside vending that have left pedestrians with little room to walk. The initiative is being led by Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (Cumta), in coordination with Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP). The marshals will be assigned roughly one per 500 metres, covering about 20 vehicles each, ensuring real-time enforcement of parking rules. "To ensure accountability, marshals will wear body cameras, and the entire zone will be monitored round-the-clock through 1,255 surveillance cameras," said I Jeyakumar, member secretary, Cumta. The idea was discussed during a public stakeholder consultation meeting for upcoming Smart Parking Management Plan in Anna Nagar, to be implemented from Sept. The parking plan is for 25km of road network mapped for on-street smart parking. On average, around 5,000 vehicles are parked daily in the area. "We will demarcate 2,000 parking slots – 70% on major roads (such as 2nd, 3rd and 6th Avenues) and rest on internal roads (such as 11th and 13th Main Roads). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The marshals will alert Cumta's command centre if they have an issue with any motorist. The traffic police personnel at the centre will contact the local police station and send assistance if needed," added Jeyakumar. N Adiyaman, councillor of ward 105, said some individuals in Anna Nagar had converted designated parking lots into commercial spaces and now park their vehicles on the road. "The enforcement mechanism needs to be strengthened, and fines must be increased. There also needs to be greater clarity on the overall parking policy. Once on-street parking is regulated, dedicated parking spaces must be created to accommodate residents' vehicles," he added. During the public consultation, several residents voiced concerns about the shrinking pedestrian space and increasing traffic congestion in Anna Nagar. "Vendors have taken over the pavements, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk. Many have also encroached on public space," said Sandhya Vedullapalli, secretary of Federation of Anna Nagar Residents Associations. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
