[sustran] Government preparing comprehensive mobility plans for 500 cities

[Vinay Baindur]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/government-preparing-comprehensive-mobility-plans-for-500-cities/articleshow/44775602.cms


Government preparing comprehensive mobility plans for 500 cities
By PTI | 10 Oct, 2014, 08.16PM IST

O P Agarwal highlighted upon the need for integration of not only different
transport subsystems but also the land use and transport planning.

NEW DELHI: The government is in the process of preparing comprehensive
mobility plans for 500 cities, having population of more than one lakh.

"Government would provide finance up to 50 per cent for preparing detailed
project report for city's mobility plan as we are in the process of
preparing comprehensive mobility plans for 500 cities, having population of
more than one lakh each," Urban Development Secretary
<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Urban-Development-Secretary> Shankar
Agarwal <http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Shankar-Agarwal> said at
the CII global conference on Mass Urban Transportation.

Agarwal also emphasised upon government's commitment to come up with smart
planning for Indian urban mobility.

"This became even more pertinent in the wake of the fact that
simultaneously with rapid urbanisation, we are also witnessing rapid growth
of motorised transport," he said.

O P Agarwal, Director General
<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Director-General>, Indian Urban
Transport, highlighted upon the need for integration of not only different
transport subsystems but also the land use and transport planning.

This becomes crucial as India has to choose an urbanisation
<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/urbanisation> model that is
congruent with low energy consumption, he said.

As our fuel import bill is already very high, expedient interventions were
the need of the hour. One of the key focus areas, as per Agarwal, would be
setting up Mass Rapid Transit System
<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Mass-Rapid-Transit-System>
(MRTS) across cities.

Fuel consumption on motorised vehicles is expected to reach 175 million
tonnes by 2021 from 70 MT in 2011.

*National Urban Transport Policy, 2006 is currently under revision by the
Ministry.*