Think India Foundation

Special purpose vehicle to be set up for Metro

Chandigarh : A special purpose vehicle (SPV) would be set up for undertaking the construction of the Metro Rail project proposed for the Tricity, and a core team of officials would be formed to work on setting up the project. Feedback from the Planning Commission would also be sought before further action is taken.

These decisions were taken during a meeting on the Metro Rail in New Delhi on Tuesday. Apart from officials of Chandigarh, representatives of Punjab and Haryana were present at the meeting which was held with the Ministry of Urban Development. The Detailed Project Report was submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to the UT Administration several months ago. DMRC officials who had prepared the DPR were also present at the meeting. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Award-winning traffic-i-cop to keep tabs on violators again

Pune : The project was shelved due to paucity of funds.

The state government is all set to restart the much lauded traffic-i-cop project which was shelved due to paucity of funds.

Inspector (Administration) Rajendra Kamire from traffic police said, “The state government has given instructions to the District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) to reinstate the project. Funds have been assured for the project and the project will see the light of the day in the next couple of months.” Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

UT asked to team up with Punjab, Haryana officials

CHANDIGARH: For the Rs 10,900-crore Metro rail project, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) on Tuesday asked the UT administration to set up a joint core team of officials with Punjab and Haryana, and nodal officers from the ministry to work on the project. Besides, a new entity -- special purpose vehicle (SPV) -- will also be constituted to work out the economics of the scheme.

After a detailed presentation was made by the administration on different aspects of the project, it was also decided that the SPV could be registered under the Companies Act as a public sector body, either wholly owned by the Government of India or with equity participation from the state governments. A UT official, however, said that since the project involves big investment, the feedback provided by the representatives of the Planning Commission and other experts would be duly taken into account while taking further action on this matter by all officials concerned. Finance secretary VK Singh said the administration will start working immediately on the documentation to form this entity, in consultation with Punjab and Haryana, and the MoUD. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Kochi civic body muses running own buses

Kochi: As part of the formation of Metro Cochin Transport Corporation (MCTC), a special purpose vehicle to manage the urban transport sector, a meeting of stakeholders convened by the mayor Tony Chammany has proposed that the civic body look at taking over the JNNURM low floor buses from KSRTC or have its own bus services.

Picture for representational purpose only.

Another major proposal was to run buses on a public private participation (PPP) basis with the corporation having 51 per cent stake and the rest with government employees and the public. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

8-laning project runs into fresh green hurdles in Hubli-Dharwad

DHARWAD: A project to eight-lane the Hubli-Dharwad road has run into rough weather with green activists claiming that nearly 2,000 trees have been axed for the project. 

The World Bank-funded Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) is the third such project in India, after Ahmedabad and Pune. Once completed, it seeks to dedicate two central lanes to buses and the rest to other vehicles. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Metro rail delays: Minister hints at tardy response by Bengal Government

KOLKATA : Union Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday hinted at lack of cooperation from the West Bengal Government in completing a slew of metro rail projects in Kolkata worth nearly Rs 17,000 crore.

According to Chowdhury, the Railways has been finding it difficult to carry out the metro extension projects mainly due to land acquisition hurdles. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Kochi and capital city likely to get 150 more low-floor buses

KOCHI : Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram together are likely to get around 150 more AC and non-AC low floor buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

While the passenger patronage of low-floor buses in the city keeps fluctuating, those operating between districts and from Kochi city to suburban towns are making profits.

This is under the extended phase one of the scheme, in which 10,000 more such buses will be given to cities in various States. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Akhaura-Agartala rail link: Indo-Bangla officials meet to devise plan today

This link would also be vital for the Trans – Asian Railway Network (TAR), of which both India and Bangladesh are members. As part of TAR, India has been constructing a 350 km rail link from Jiribam (India) to Moreh (Myanmar)—a link Bangladesh can be benefitted from.

Rail officials of Bangladesh and India sit today in Dhaka to work out a plan to implement the Akhaura-Agartala rail link, which will allow Delhi to connect with its seven north-eastern states.

India’s rail officials say that Delhi is moving for rapid implementation of their much-sought rail link which the two neighbours believe will open up a new era of business opportunities and people-to-people contact in the region. Read more

Source : dhakatribune.com

Utility told to adhere to JNNURM rules

PUNE: The Union ministry of urban development has advised the transport undertakings of 61 cities, including the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), to procure modern JNNURM-funded buses under JNNURM funding according to the urban bus specifications recommended by the ministry. The ministry recently came out with the specifications which focuses on comfort and quality ride for passengers and drivers.

In a letter sent to the transport and urban development departments earlier this month, the ministry had said that all future procurements of the buses should be carried out as per the bus specifications. The urban bus specifications were published at the bus funding workshop held on May 6. The specifications however are recommendatory in nature. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

2 out of 3 local train commuters in Mumbai peeved with long ticket queues

Over half of Mumbai's suburban railway network users are unhappy with facilities that should have made their journeys more pleasant, a railway survey has found.

The biggest grouse is the time taken to buy a ticket, with two out of three commuters complaining about it, followed by cleanliness - both on the rakes and in the stations - and toilets. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Metro rail project: Haryana's plan to partner with UT may be decided today

Chandigarh : Haryana's plan to partner with UT administration in the ambitious Metro rail project is likely to be decided in a meeting of the project's coordination committee in New Delhi on Monday. 

UT administration, Punjab, Haryana and the union ministry of urban development (MUD) will take part in the meeting to discuss the project that is expected to cost Rs. 10,900 crore. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Jaipur Metro might miss deadline again

JAIPUR: With a lot of civil construction work for the Jaipur Metro rail corridor still pending, it remains a major challenge for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to start commercial operation of the project by August, the new deadline.

In a recent project review meeting, it was learnt that the project is set to miss its extended July 2013 deadline and urban development and housing (UDH) minister Shanti Dhariwal had announced August first week as the fresh date. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Chavan to meet those displaced by Navi Mumbai Airport

Mumbai : They are likely to meet in the next 10 days to sort out land compensation issue

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will meet people displaced by the proposed Navi Mumbai Airport (project affected persons or PAPs) in the next ten days to sort land allotment for the project.

Officials of the state urban development ministry confirmed the development to Business Standard on Monday after a meeting between Chavan, City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Bhatia and other government officials. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Bus Rapid Transit System delay cost Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Rs100 cr: Corporator

PUNE: Opposition members have pulled up the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation for keeping the elected representatives in the dark about the status of BRTS projects and the cost escalation due to delay in its implementation.

Senior NCP corporator and former mayor R S Kumar said in the general body recently that delay in implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) work in Pimpri-Chinchwad has cost the municipal corporation Rs 100 crore. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

No parking slot, no car registration

MUMBAI: To control the burgeoning car population in Mumbai and curb parking on roads, state transport commissioner V N More has suggested to the state government to not allow private car registrations if there is parking space is not available on the applicants' residential building premises.

"I have proposed an amendment in the Motor Vehicles Act in urban areas making it mandatory for applicants of new car registrations to show proof of residential parking facility. If there is no space in the building to keep your car, it is better you don't buy one. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Share autos likely to be introduced in Kochi

KOCHI : The Kochi Corporation is likely to introduce share autos in the city. The service is aimed at making public transport available on side roads and in residential colonies.The service would be helpful as buses ply only along conventional routes. It could in the long run become a feeder service to the Kochi metro expected to be commissioned in 2016.

Autorickshaw trade unions in the city, with whom the plan has gone down well, have demanded clear-cut norms on the type of vehicle to be used, the routes and fare rates. File Photo

A meeting to discuss the matter was held on Friday at Mayor Tony Chammany’s chamber. Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer B.J. Antony and traffic police officers took part in the meeting. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

BRTS drives land rates up 50% on Iskcon-Bopal stretch

Ahmedabad: After the skyrocketing rates it witnessed in the last couple of years, realty sector in Amdavad has not seen much movement for about a year now. However, the announcement of high density corridor along the BRTS route and proposed Metro corridor in the new development plan (DP) by Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) has infused some life into the realty market at least in residential zone-II (R-II). 

 

Land prices in R-II zone on the stretch from Iskcon Circle to Bopal have appreciated by 65%, reveal nearly half a dozen realty deals that took place recently. In the new DP for Ahmedabad, the development authority has provided more construction area by raising the floor space index (FSI) limit from 1.2 to 4. This means that a developer can build a 40,000-square metre area on a 10,000 sq m plot now. “Real estate projects have become more viable along the corridor because of higher FSI,” said Neeraj Tomar, head of Ahmedabad operations at Jones Lang LaSalle. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com

It’s time planners did some jugaad on rural public transport

On the face of it, the Supreme Court order of May 15 directing all states to ensure that jugaad vehicles  do not ply unless they are registered with the regional transport authorities and have third party insurance needs to be welcomed.

Servicing the rural market will be difficult, since it will not be as lucrative as the urban one. Pic:Wikipedia Commons

Jugaad vehicles are those makeshift, rickety contraptions powered by irrigation pump motors that pass for public transport in many rural areas of north India. It doesn’t require a Supreme Court order to make one realise that these are extremely risky to the life and limb of its passengers. The Court’s order will have the effect of getting them off the roads. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Meet monorail's first 3 Indian captains

Ahead of August launch, youth share their experience of training & trial runs, and gush about how they enjoy the attention of motorists who stop to click pictures of the rake.

Three young Mumbaikars are set to drive the city’s newest mode of transport — India’s first monorail that will start operating between Wadala and Chembur in August this year.

A total of 21 captains have been appointed and are undergoing training, while 15 more will be recruited in the coming weeks. Like a local train has a motorman, captain is the title for those who will drive the monorail. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

NGO claims lacunae in draft Development Plan of PMC

Pointing out serious lacunae in various studies undertaken by PMC to prepare the draft Development Plan, city-based organisation Parisar has alleged that several urban planning norms were flouted in drafting the DP for the old part of the city.

In its 30-page report on suggestions and objections, the organisation has highlighted serious lacunae and mistakes in Existing Land Use (ELU) Study , Demographic Study, Housing Study and Transport Study conducted by the civic administration. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

KSRTC bags award for ITS

BANGALORE: KSRTC ( Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) was bestowed with IIMM SCM innovation award for its venture in intelligence transport system operated in Mysore. 

The award was given during the APCON conclave in Bangalore on Friday. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Quadricycle to replace auto? Government to decide

New Delhi : Will cities like Delhi and Mumbai get quadricycles as an alternative to autorickshaws? The UPA government on Thursday formed a high-level group headed by road secretary Vijay Chhibber to take a call on the issue.

The Bajaj qaudricycle

The new category of vehicles is expected to replace autorickshaws as a faster and safer mode of intra-city public transport. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Cuttack to get new bus fleet

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to introduce an intra-city bus service in Cuttack without disturbing the existing movement of JNNURM-sponsored interlinked 'green rider' town buses between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The housing and urban development (H&UD) department has asked the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to constitute a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to manage the proposed Cuttack city bus service. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Chhattisgarh government plans monorail network for Raipur

Raipur: Chhattisgarh government has decided to run a monorail in Raipur to reduce traffic congestion and increase share of public transport in the urban transport network. "The state government has planned a comprehensive network of monorail at Raipur which mostly has narrow roads and requires a quick solution for its mounting traffic problems," an official in Raipur said on Thursday.

CM Raman Singh had given a brief presentation at the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries on establishing a monorail network in the city in October 2012.

"In this connection, Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar chaired a meeting on Wednesday at New Mantralaya here," he said. According to the official, a monorail is best suited to solve the city's growing traffic woes and its routes will be finalised very soon and a committee headed by the secretary to Chief Minister Raman Singh will initiate steps. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Ahmedabad BRTS wins silver rating from globally renowned experts

Ahmedabad BRTS, known as Janmarg has added yet another feather in its cap. It has received the Silver Rating from a technical committee comprising of world renowned experts in the field of BRT. This Technical Committee certifies corridors and recommends revisions to the BRT Standard annually. The benefit of certifying a BRT corridor as gold, silver, bronze, or basic is that it sets an internationally recognized standard for the current best practice for BRT. The Committee in 2013, gave Silver rating for Ahmedabad Janmarg. The BRT Standard Technical Committee members include people of eminence representing well-known international organisations.

Ahmedabad started its BRT system in 2009. Since its inauguration in October 2009, Janmarg has been accepted as the first ‘complete’ BRTS in India and has influenced planning and design choices in other cities – in India and abroad. The trans-vision of Ahmedabad is captioned as ‘Accessible Ahmedabad’. As part of this vision, the Ahmedabad BRTS is officially called ‘Janmarg’ – the people’s way. Read more

Source : www.niticentral.com

Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation seeks ADB loan to fund underground Metro

JAIPUR: To seek funds for construction of underground Metro from Chandpole to BadiChaupar, Phase- I (B), senior officials of Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) on Wednesday met representatives of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in New Delhi.

The Planning Commission had forwarded the proposal to the ADB after the JMRC sought the requirement of loan for the project for Phase I (B). Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cash-strapped railways body spent nearly Rs 3 cr on foreign trips

MUMBAI: The cash-strapped Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has spent nearly Rs 3 crore on foreign trips by officials since 2003-04. A reply under the Right to Information Act has revealed that the trips by many officials were pointless and put an unnecessary financial burden on the exchequer, an activist claimed. 

The reply revealed that 121 officials have been abroad to undertake study tours and inspection of projects, and for evaluation of signaling technology and overhead equipment (OHE) related work. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

UPA on media blitz to showcase its feats

NEW DELHI: I&B minister Manish Tewari on Monday launched a multi-media initiative with the theme 'Glimpses of the India Story' to showcase the achievements and highlights of nine years of UPA rule. 

The publicity campaign seeks to highlight the impact of policy decisions at the ground level for inclusive growth and participatory governance. The ad spots have been directed by Pradeep Sarkar of 'Parineeta' fame while the radio jingles have been written by Javed Akhtar and sung by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mumbai: Dedicated lanes for buses will reduce congestion, says study

Mumbai : Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan may have ruled out Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) as an unfeasible transport system for Mumbai but transport activists have cited a study arguing that priority bus lane should be introduced, if not in the entire city, than at least along certain stretches like Haji Ali and Dharavi to reduce traffic congestion.

A recent study by Embarq, India and Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU) has revealed that about 4,000 civic buses carry 40 lakh passengers on a single day. But road space in the city on weekdays is grabbed by nearly 4 lakh cars carrying less than 8 lakh passengers. Out of this, nearly 1.6 lakh cars have only single occupant. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

New eight-lane road to connect South Delhi to Gurgaon

NEW DELHI: A new eight-lane road connecting south Delhi commuters to Gurgaon and Faridabad is expected to come up soon, with the lieutenant governor on Friday giving approval. The 9.05 kilometre long corridor is expected to help commuters from Mehrauli, Greater Kailash, Chhattarpur, Saket etc to avoid jams at NH-8 and NH-2. The decision to undertake the Rs 597-crore project was taken by the urban development ministry, which will also provide the funds for the project, said officials. 

"The state public works department (PWD) is undertaking the construction of the double carriageway road from Mehrauli-Gurgaon road to Gurgaon-Faridabad road. The road, called Mandi Road, presently exists as a two-lane road riddled with potholes and is without a central verge. Widening this road will help commuters bypass the congested routes currently available," said a senior PWD official. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Airport Metro, govt lock horns over CISF payment

NEW DELHI : The Delhi Airport Metro Express has locked horns with the central government over payment of dues to CISF which has been deployed at the facility to secure it from possible terrorist attacks or sabotage.

According to CISF sources, the force during this shut down period had thinned its deployment but armed security was in place 24X7

The Central Industrial Security Force had some time ago raised a bill of about Rs 12 crore for securing the airport metro line facility for the six months’ period when it was shut for repairs in the civil infrastructure. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Can a Bus Rapid Transit System decongest Bangalore’s roads?

A youngster suggests possible ways of easing the gridlock in the city.

As residents of Bangalore, many of us know that the transport situation in the city is far from ideal. And considering the status of progress of various transport initiatives, the road to an efficient urban transportation strategy is fraught with obstacles. The process is bound to be messy and appears to be expensive in terms of time, money and the effort it will demand. However, the cost of not doing the integration is far higher than that of avoidng it.

Radha Chanchani, an urban planner working with the Indian Institute of Science, said, "Urban planners consider transportation as an important parameter in the city infrastructure. But Bangalore's growth has been so fast that a possible review had seemed impossible at the time and taking remedial measures looks like the only solution now." It is also essential to carry out integrated land use transportation planning. Mass rapid transport system stations had been proposed as a test measure. But such measures required a major policy change and its feasibility and implications have to be studied in depth. Read more

Source : bangalore.citizenmatters.in

Flyover designs under Kochi corporation's scrutiny

KOCHI: The Kochi corporation will ask the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to present designs of flyovers planned at Edappally,Vyttila and Palarivattom junctions which fall under city limits. Mayor Tony Chammany informed the council that he would take up the issue with NHAI project director C T Abraham.

"The flyovers are coming up on roads owned by NHAI, and they can take decisions regarding constructions on their property. But these structures fall under corporation limits and will have a direct impact on its residents. Hence, we will ask NHAI to present their designs before the council," he said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

10 luxury buses seized for plying on BRTS road

INDORE: Regional Transport Office (RTO) seized 10 luxury buses in Indore on Thursday for plying on road meant for BRTS buses. The travel agencies, whose buses were seized, include Neeta, Ashok, Hans, Jalaram, Ekta, HK Travels and Bawa. The action was taken by special flying squad of RTO, a day before the trial run of BRTS buses begins in the city.

It was two months ago that district collector Akash Tripathy had asked luxury buses operators with all India permit not to run buses on road meant for BRTS. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

To minimise rain mess, cops identify water logging points at Delhi

New Delhi : Monsoon may bring relief for Delhiites from the scorching summer heat, but the rains often spell doom for the city roads that are troubled by the perennial problem of water logging.

Delhi Traffic Police, in a bid to get rid of the problems of water logging in city roads, conducted a survey and identified 160 points that are clogged during the rainy season. The police have drawn up and submitted a map, pointing out these points, to the state urban development ministry and sought its intervention to ensure immediate repair work. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Bus service in Manipur

Imphal : Like in Imphal where bus service is being operated under JNURM, similar bus services would be launched in other districts too.

Subsequent upon the Union Finance Minister's announcement as mentioned in his budget speech to purchase 10,000 buses in order to enhance transport system in hill States, a workshop was held in Delhi on May 6 with Union Urban Development Secretary Dr Sudhir Krishna in the chair. Read more

Source : e-pao.net 

You can park here in Gurgaon but at your own risk

Gurgaon : Illegal parking lots are mushrooming in the city, thanks to space crunch and inadequate authorised parking facility. Commuters claim they are forced to use the unauthorised service due to nexus between the parking mafia and police. 

Residents complain that the mafia promptly informs the police about vehicles parked on the roadside outside malls and other places. So, they have no option but to park in the illegal lots or their vehicles get towed away. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Traffic cops list areas prone to waterlogging in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Concerned over consistent traffic problems in the city due to waterlogging, the traffic police has sent a list of 160 such areas to the urban development ministry. The list of roads has been compiled after a detailed traffic survey on waterlogging complaints received last year and the various reasons for waterlogging. 

"We have identified 110 major problem areas where one lane or more of a road gets compromised due to waterlogging. The remaining locations include areas where half a lane or less was compromised," said additional commissioner of police (traffic) Anil Shukla. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

30 rail overbridges in eight years in Gurgaon

GURGAON: As many as 30 railway overbridges (RoBs) and one railway underbridge (RuB) have been constructed in Haryana between 2005 and March 2013 at the cost of Rs 651 crore.

An official spokesman said that out of the 31 bridges, 28 ROBs and one RuB were constructed by the Public Works (Building and Roads) wing and two ROBs were built by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Bus fire blocks rush-hour Bypass

KOLKATA: A JNNURM bus suddenly caught fire just below the Chingrihata flyover on Wednesday morning, holding up rush-hour traffic on the crucial connector to the city.

A ghastly accident was narrowly averted because the bus was empty. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Akhilesh asks Centre for extension of metro rail service in UP

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has requested the Centre to approve the projects that would enable extension of the Delhi metro rail service to areas of Uttar Pradesh.    

File Photo

In a letter to Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Akhilesh has requested the approval for three metro rail projects ? Dilshad Garden to New Bus Station in Ghaziabad, Kalindi Kunj to Botanical Garden in Noida and from Noida to Greater Noida. Read more

Source : english.samaylive.com

Haryana to partner with UT in Metro rail project

Chandigarh : In a significant move, the Haryana government has decided to partner with Chandigarh in the ambitious Metro rail project. 

The total length of the project covering Chandigarh, Panchkula and SAS Nagar is 37.57 km with an estimated cost of R 10,900 crore, which would be shared between the Centre, UT administration and governments of Punjab and Haryana. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

HC seeks reply on PIL alleging parking lot scam

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra government to file its reply on a PIL alleging corruption in allotment of public parking lots by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Minister of State for Urban Development Department (UDD) Bhaskar Jadhav. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha asked Advocate General Darius Khambata to file an affidavit by June 30 while hearing a PIL filed by social activist Pravin Wategaonkar. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Rajkot BRTS inches closer to bag int'l transport award

RAJKOT: Rajkot Rajpath Ltd, a special purpose vehicle, which runs the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) on the 150-foot Ring Road in the city, has been selected as one of the semi-finalists for 2013 Transport Achievement Award.

The International Transport Forum's Transport Achievement Award will be awarded to an initiative, project, or service that through innovative pricing and funding arrangements addresses one or more of today's transport focal issues - quality infrastructure or service, congestion, safety, environmental protection, enhanced accessibility, sources said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Move to ply long route CTU buses in Chandigarh city earns flak

CHANDIGARH: The decision of the UT to ply long route buses on the local grid is being slammed with drivers complaining that these vehicles, being higher and harder to maneuver, are ideal only for highways. They also pointed out that the new fleet of buses, bought under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), have the rear door in front of the wheels, which can result in passengers getting crushed. The interior layout of the buses has also been made to facilitate long distance travel with a separate cabin for the driver. 

Satinder Singh, leader of the CTU Employees Union, said the issue of reduction of the long route fleet and local use of these buses has been repeatedly raised with the UT administration at all levels. According to the plan, 45 old long route buses were replaced with AC buses to introduce temperature controlled service for the first time. The plan was dropped at the last minute as it cost the CTU heavily, he said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Corporation yet to prepare parking policy

Though the state government has envisaged steps to launch an Automobile Parking Policy for Kochi under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) three years ago, the Kochi Corporation is yet to prepare the parking bylaw. The Corporation Council, last year, had approved the decision to entrust Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) with its preparation but the contract is yet to be awarded to the agency. The major reason behind the delay is the implementation of the Kochi Metro Rail project. “Once the Metro rail project is completed, the parking system would have to be restructured.  So we thought of holding the bylaw preparation,” said a Corporation official. However, Town Planning experts said that it is not wise to delay the bylaw preparation. “The major purpose of the bylaw is to prevent  encroachments and parking on footpaths. Suggestions to allow on-street parking in areas where parking facilities cannot be set up should be made.  The Metro Stations will provide necessary parking lots,” experts said.

The bylaw will be pedestrian and motorists friendly. Earlier,in its parking policy guidelines, the state government had clearly stated that the Corporation will be the sole authority for formulating and implementing the bylaw. Read more

Source : newindianexpress.com

Centre okays Rs 19k crore to upgrade road network in Bihar

PATNA: The Union cabinet has okayed the proposal to upgrade the road network in Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana-II (PMGSY-II). The cabinet, at its meeting on May 1, allocated Rs 19,000 crore for a period from 2013-14 to 2016-17 under the PMGSY-II.

Union rural development department minister Jairam Ramesh, in a letter to CM Nitish Kumar on Monday, said the ministry would release a detailed guidelines to upgrade the road network under the PMGSY-II by the end of this month. Under the first phase, 11,149 km of roads would be covered and 2,465 km would be taken up under the PMGSY-II, he said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Allowing quadricycles

Bajaj innovation could help upgrade urban public transport

New Delhi : Car manufacturers are intensively lobbying against Bajaj Auto's attempts at securing approval to market what it calls the "quadricycle" by seeking to meet weaker emission and safety standards than those applicable to cars. They fear that if this is allowed, the upgraded four-wheel version of the currently ubiquitous three-wheeler will eat into the car market by offering a lower price. That is because lower standards will allow the use of cheaper technologies. Mindful of this, Bajaj Auto has from the beginning carefully refrained from describing its product as a car. The firm says it is proposing to essentially make an upgraded three-wheeler that will meet emission standards applicable to similar vehicles in Europe. But while in Europe these are usually used by the old or very young (below driving-licence age) and treated as recreational vehicles, in India Bajaj Auto seeks to launch the quadricycle not just on city roads but highways too, and aim at volume sales.

In the first place, the quadricycle is unlikely to pose any challenge to cars. The disappointing sales of Tata Motors' Nano should make it clear that the Indian consumer does not go for a car simply because it is cheap, even if it scores well technologically. The declining popularity of the Maruti 800, even when it was available in cities, further underlines this preference. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

It’s high time omnibuses moved out of Madurai

MADURAI : This will ease traffic congestion witnessed at Shopping Complex bus stand; omnibus owners willing to shift

Buses jostling against one another in the Shopping Complex bus stand in the city. Photo: G. Moorthy

Who is to blame for the traffic congestion in the Shopping Complex bus stand? This simple question evokes different responses and accusations. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Cabinet clears NH expansion project in West Bengal

The government has given its approval for expansion of National Highway-31D in West Bengal. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently cleared the Rs 3119.60 crore project relating to four-laning of the Ghoshpukur-Falakata-Salsalabari section of National Highway. The project will be executed under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase II, on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis in build-operate-transfer (BOT) (Toll) mode of delivery. 

Pic for representation only.

The project cost also includes Rs 907.60 crore towards the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of road will be approximately 155 km. Read more

Source : www.constructionweekonline.in