Latest news with #ChennaiUnifiedMetropolitanTransportAuthority
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
WHO's road safety toolkit aligns with CUMTA's mobility plan, says Bicycle Mayor of Chennai
Institutions and municipal bodies seeking to promote non-motorised forms of transport with a girding of safety now have a guiding light — 'Make Walking and Cycling Safe', launched by the World Health Organisation at the Eighth United Nations Global Road Safety Week (May 12 to 18). Designed for policy makers, governments, civil society organisations, private sector, and other stakeholders in planning, implementing, and evaluating efforts in integrating walking and cycling into transport, health, environmental and education policies, the toolkit calls for bold action in promoting safe road use through public awareness and behaviour change campaigns. It features case studies to showcase real-world examples of how these policy options are being successfully put into practice. Felix John, Bicycle Mayor of Chennai, says the toolkit aligns perfectly with the 'Comprehensive Mobility Plan' being readied by Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA). 'By putting safety and accessibility in the forefront, it gives legitimacy to community efforts,' says John, an advocate for active mobility. The toolkit can guide CUMTA, CMDA, GCC, GTP to enforce safer speed limits, create calming infrastructure at school zones and protect cycling and walking infrastructure. 'While we have seen efforts by civil society organisations and the local body to promote non-motorised form of transport, there is always more credibility when WHO collaborates for this initiative,' says John. John says Chennai is one of the first states to launch the Non-Motorised Transport Policy, when it did so in 2014 with the help of ITDP. 'We have a policy but not much emphasis is being placed on implementation or adoption. Priority is being given to a vehicle-centric approach,' says John. John Felix's wish list includes creation of an 'Active Mobility Cell' for walking and cycling in Chennai. 'More community volunteers should be invited to be part of efforts to make the city safer for non-motorised transport,' adds John.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
CUMTA proposes revised freight vehicle parking policies to reduce congestion on Chennai roads
Revised freight vehicle parking policies, proposed by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), could reduce on-street parking by 70-80%, freeing up space on city roads for public use. According to a press release, the proposal includes setting up designated parking zones and enforcing restrictions on long-duration freight parking on public roads. The draft City Logistics Plan (CLP), prepared by CUMTA, outlined 10 strategies to improve urban freight movement across the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), including reducing light commercial vehicle (LCV) travel by 4,000 to 6,000 vehicle-km (unit representing the movement of a vehicle over one kilometre) daily, to ease congestion on major corridors like Rajiv Gandhi Salai and East Coast Road (ECR). This vehicle re-routing was projected to reduce congestion at key points by 25-40%, according to CUMTA. The release added that terminal upgrades and access-controlled roads at ports could cut waiting times by 60-75%. It further said parcels could be moved quickly using metro trains, helping cut travel time by 50% and reducing the number of light commercial vehicles on the roads. It added that shifting more freight to rail could take 500-700 trucks off city streets every day. The release also mentioned that better planning for delivering perishable goods, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy, could save 12,000-15,000 vehicle-km daily by reducing unnecessary trips and optimising routes. It further said that emission levels may fall by 25-30% through the use of electric vehicles and green freight zones.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
CUMTA explores methods to ease cargo movement
To quickly ferry air cargo and ease congestion, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is exploring ways to have a separate corridor from the Chennai airport. 'We have to discuss this plan in detail with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and they [the AAI] should be able to shift cargo operations to the rear side of the airport. If that is agreed upon, this plan will greatly help in decongestion and smooth movement of cargo,' a CUMTA official said. As part of the recently held first meeting of the City Logistics Coordination Committee, under the Tamil Nadu State Logistics Policy, several plans were discussed to ease regional and urban cargo movement in the city. The CUMTA is currently preparing the City Logistics Plan, and looking at the possibility of transporting cargo through Chennai Metro trains during the late night hours. 'The Chennai Metro Rail Limited has agreed to shift e-commerce cargo through trains. But, we have to work out ways to handle the cargo without affecting the trains. They will also get non-fare box revenue through this initiative,' the official said. The CUMTA is simultaneously focusing on the movement of regional cargo [bulk ones to and from the port] and the urban cargo [smaller cargo], and looking at various solutions such as improving services and policy regulations. In the meeting, 30 strategic interventions were proposed to manage and optimise nearly 300 million tonnes of cargo handled annually in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, a release said. 'The solutions were focused on easing truck entry and exit from ports, establishment of new terminals for freight handling, modal shift from road to rail and introduction of specialised services, reducing greenhouse gases emissions by freight vehicles, and decongestion of roads through efficient freight vehicle routing and digital interventions,' the release added.
New Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
CUMTA plans to integrate air cargo movement, metro rail
CHENNAI: Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is looking to integrate air cargo movement with metro rail services in an effort to bring down light commercial vehicles on city roads and ease congestion. The plan forms a key part of the city's forthcoming logistics roadmap, which is likely to be released soon. The initiative will integrate metro services and parcel collection centres to reduce emissions and promote sustainable movement of goods. Speaking at a logistics policy session hosted by the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CUMTA member-secretary I Jayakumar said the broader logistics plan envisages investment of around Rs 4,000 crore (approximately USD 480mn) over a decade. Among other measures, the state is also working on a platform to digitally map empty trucks within city limits, potentially improving the efficiency of short-haul urban freight operations. 'Currently, around 30% of trucks entering and leaving the Chennai Metropolitan Area are running empty,' he added. Industry inputs sought The state government is simultaneously drafting a dedicated warehouse policy and inputs from the industry have been sought, said industries secretary Arun Roy, adding that the move follows a recent announcement in the Assembly by minister TRB Rajaa to draft a warehousing policy. Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) MD Sandeep Nanduri spoke on the progress of key logistics infrastructure, including freight corridors, at the session. Meanwhile, the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) plans to invest `60 crore to construct a net-zero ambient warehouse in Sriperumbudur, west of Chennai. The 1.3 lakh sqft facility, comprising both cold storage and temperature-controlled ambient warehousing, is expected to be operational by mid-2026. CONCOR area head G Gayatri said the company is in talks with multinational clients and will soon float an expression of interest. The firm has also begun deploying LNG-powered trucks across Tamil Nadu, with over 50 vehicles now in use.
