CHENNAI: More than three years after notification, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is likely to organise its first meeting in October, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister MK Stalin, said the special officer of CUMTA I Jeyakumar.
The CUMTA Act was passed in 2010 during the regime of then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for proper coordination and streamlining of the activities among agencies involved in planning, operating and managing transportation systems. It was notified only in January 2019 and later amended in September 2020 by appointing the CM as Chairman.
Jeyakumar, who is on deputation from the Indian Railways and took charge earlier this month said, CUMTA has started to gain experience and draw lessons from the existing urban metropolitan transport authorities in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kerala. “We visited Kochi. Similar visits are also planned to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The ultimate aim is to have seamless mobility, he said.
Speaking to TNIE Jeyakumar said, he has started work on designing a new logo and website. It should represent the vision and functions to integrate the conceptualisation, design, implementation and maintenance of road, rail, metro, bus, walking and cycling initiatives. The logo is being designed through public participation. “We have organised a contest and the winner will be awarded Rs 50,000,” said Jeyakumar. “So far we have received 200 responses and we will evaluate and select the winner,” he said.
“Apart from this capacity building work has also started. Currently, we have five experts and we will recruit additional five members before December,” he said. “After this, another 10 members will be recruited. This is necessary as we require experts in various forms of transport planning,” said Jeyakumar.
CUMTA, which is now functioning from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority office will shift to the Chennai Metro office in Nandanam soon.
Currently, a staggering 10 different agencies are involved in traffic and transportation management in the Chennai Metropolitan area. The government wants to establish and strengthen CUMTA as the key coordinating agency for the delivery of urban mobility services across providers for bus, metro, rail, road, and pedestrian services and infrastructure and adopt a citizen-centric vision plan.