[sustran] Coimbatore's quest for traffic improvement, road connectivity

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/article2708644.ece


Coimbatore's quest for traffic improvement, road connectivity Karthik
Madhavan
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 [image: Over-stressed: Inability to introduce additional mass public
transport system leaves the city dependent mostly on buses. File photo: K.
Ananthan]
 The Hindu Over-stressed: Inability to introduce additional mass public
transport system leaves the city dependent mostly on buses. File photo: K.
Ananthan

Of the major projects the Coimbatore Corporation readied for submission for
fund under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the
transport project is one.

Under the head ‘Traffic and transportation – inclusive of roads, bus rapid
transit system and flyovers', the Corporation sought Rs. 637 crore after
preparing a detailed project report (DPR). The DPR says the objective is to
identify transportation deficiencies and come up with a comprehensive
mobility plan for the city of Coimbatore. This was in November 2007.

The Corporation set up four committees - the first for identification of
problems in traffic network and bottlenecks for their intermodal
integration and road connectivity aspects; the second for short-term
measures for traffic improvements; the third for medium- and long- term
measures for traffic improvements; and, the fourth for traffic management
measures. The report the committees submitted identified the following as
the city's problems: phenomenal growth in vehicles, lack of segregation of
traffic, inadequate road network, congestion at railway crossings, lack of
adequate link roads, absence of organised parking facilities, lack of
sufficient signalised junctions, medians, pedestrian walkways and lack of
an efficient transit system.

As part of the long-term improvements, a mass transit system was listed as
priority one.

The report said Coimbatore would do well to have a bus rapid transit system
(BRTS) because it suited the ‘Passenger Per Hour Per Direction' estimate,
which was 6,000.

Under Phase I of the BRTS project, the committees suggested taking up works
on the Avanashi Road – Dr. Nanjappa Road – Mettupalayam Road stretch and
under Phase II, the Trichy Road, Sathy Road, Thadagam Road and Sanganur
Canal.

The Corporation took up the committees' report and said that it would be
able to implement the project with 50 per cent financial assistance from
the Central Government and 20 per cent contribution from the State. It
promised to chip in with the remaining 30 per cent.

*JNNURM projects*

This report, according to sources, is with the State Government and has not
been forwarded to the Central Government because the Corporation has not
been able to complete the JNNURM projects at hand such as the solid waste
management, underground drainage, storm water drain, etc.

They also say that even if the report is forwarded to the Central
Government, it may not fund the project because the Corporation has not
taken necessary administrative reforms and acted on its promises, like for
instance, collecting user charges.

This is only one half of the story, though. Even without the BRTS, the
Corporation could have taken several measures to ease traffic congestion in
the city, sources say.

The civic body failed to implement even short-term improvement measures
such as bringing in bicycle lanes, providing pedestrian facilities,
regulating street hawking, identifying hawking zones and improving
junctions.

The Corporation, they say, has not been successful in bringing in many link
roads, constructing flyovers, road overbridges, pedestrian underpasses,
etc., as suggested in the committees' report.

If the Corporation wants to ease traffic congestion and introduce mass
transport in the city, it must start from scratch because the report
prepared in 2007 will not reflect 2011's reality, they say and want the
Corporation to seriously consider BRTS.

Keywords: Coimbatore traffic
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