Consultant help sought to finalise Chennai transport roadmap

The CMP has drawn up the transport roadmap for Chennai till 2048, including a transport investment programme containing short, medium and long-term projects.
Passengers waiting to board MTC bus at Koyambedu bus stand in Chennai. (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)
Passengers waiting to board MTC bus at Koyambedu bus stand in Chennai. (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is planning to appoint a consultant to finalise a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for Chennai Metropolitan Area, a transport roadmap for the city till 2048, with a proposed investment plan of around Rs 1.5 lakh crore. 

It is learnt that the proposed CMP, which has been submitted to the CMDA, will now incorporate an emergency management plan to primarily deal with extreme weather and other expected natural disaster events. The plan would be developed in consultation with stakeholders concerned, including the state disaster management agency.

According to official sources, the consulting firm will undertake extensive consultations with the stakeholders to finalise the CMP and prepare a capital investment plan for the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) for the next three years. The consultant will also review findings of ‘Women and Bus Transportation in Chennai’, a study conducted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), and outputs of State of Transport Survey that is currently proposed to be carried out parallelly.

The CMP has drawn up the transport roadmap for Chennai till 2048, including a transport investment programme containing short, medium and long-term projects. The plan has focused on the mobility of people, and encourage systems that maximize the throughput of people. The impact of proposals is expected to increase public transport mode share and reduce pollution. 

The State government intends to adopt CMP recommendations to resolve and comprehensively address the mobility needs of the city. The CUMTA will be responsible for coordination and streamlining of CMP proposals’ implementation through city agencies. Since it is essential that the CMP recommendations are sufficiently deliberated and consulted not only with the stakeholders but also with the city residents, the consultant is required.

The CMP will also include a review of climate adaptation requirements for the system to operate effectively. The stakeholders in the plan include CMDA, Greater Chennai Corporation, Traffic Police Department, Southern Railways, Metropolitan Transport Corporation, National Highways of India, State Highways Department of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure and Financial Services, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Road Transport Authority, TN Public Works Department, Smart City Limited and also academic experts involved in the study of mobility solutions for the city. 

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