Latest news with #ComprehensiveMobilityPlan
Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Business
- Indian Express
BMLTA slams Bengaluru tunnel road project, says it does not align with Comprehensive Mobility Plan
In a first of its institutional criticism of the ambitious north-south tunnel road project connecting Hebbal and Silkboard junction, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) has flagged several discrepancies in the project. According to the BMLTA review of the feasibility report of the tunnel road project, accessed by The Indian Express, the transport planning body has stated that the proposed project does not align with the objectives and goals of the approved Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Bengaluru. Further, it stated that the project does not align with either Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)'s Climate Action Plan or National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP). In fact, despite several discrepancies, Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited, which is executing the tunnel road project, has gone ahead with global tenders for the project. BBMP submitted the feasibility study report of the proposed north-south corridor in July 2024 for review and approval by BMLTA. The Directorate of Urban and Land Transport, which serves as the secretariat to BMLTA, conducted a technical review of the proposal, following which 14 technical observations/comments were documented for consideration of BBMP. According to CMP, it targets a 70 per cent public transport share by 2035; however, tunnel roads encourage car-based commuting, the review noted. BMLTA noted that BBMP has no prior experience in the state to implement such a large (14.5-metre twin tube) deep tunnel. Instead, BMLTA recommends alternative short-length strategic alignments where such tunnels may play a critical role in improving connectivity of existing road networks. It also recommended a signal-free connectivity of Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Goraguntepalya junction, signal-free connectivity of ORR between K R Puram and Benniganahalli (to decongest Old Madras Road from Tin Factory to KR Puram) and signal-free connectivity of ORR between Central Silk Board and J D Mara junctions. BMLTA further recommended considering tunnel configurations for the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR). 'Given that the development density along the PRR is relatively low, constructing tunnels here may pose fewer technical challenges. It could also potentially reduce land acquisition costs and open up avenues for private investment, especially as the PRR is already being planned as a toll-based road,' the agency stated. Lack of scientific assessment One of the major criticisms is the absence of a scientific travel demand assessment. The agency noted that BBMP failed to conduct origin-destination (O-D) surveys, which are essential for understanding travel patterns and estimating how many commuters would use the tunnel. BBMP's claim that O-D surveys are only relevant in early-stage transport planning was contested by BMLTA, which noted that a feasibility study itself is an early-stage exercise. 'Without O-D data, traffic shift estimations are speculative, impacting assessments of segment-wise demand, entry/exit point locations, and potential traffic diversion from other projects like metro or suburban rail,' the agency noted. Further, the project lacks a scientific evaluation of its impact on surface-level roads and junctions, the agency said. The feasibility study omitted turning movement counts (TMCs) and junction-level simulations, failing to assess whether roads and junctions at proposed entry/exit ramps can handle diverted traffic. 'This oversight risks exacerbating surface-level congestion at tunnel access points, potentially undermining the project's goal of reducing traffic bottlenecks,' BMLTA observed. BMLTA also pointed out that the study ignores interactions with other major infrastructure projects, such as Metro phases 2A, 2B, 3, and 3A, suburban rail corridors, and the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy. According to BMLTA, by not accounting for these parallel systems, which are designed to address similar commuter demands, the tunnel's demand forecasts are likely overestimated, leading to flawed planning assumptions. BMLTA also criticised the project's reliance on flawed traffic data and analysis. Reported average daily traffic volumes between Hebbal and Mekhri Circle (1,500 to 3,500 passenger car units) were flagged by BMLTA as unrealistically low, with camera-based counts lacking clarity on specific roads and directions. 'The rudimentary forecasting methodology risks overestimating the tunnel's utility, rendering financial calculations and congestion-relief claims unreliable,' it noted. Compounding these issues, BBMP's study neglected geological and seismic risks, providing no details on tunnel depth, seismic risk analysis, or Bengaluru's geological vulnerabilities, despite the city being in Seismic Zone II with reported active fault lines in Southern Karnataka, BMLTA said. Environmental and hydrogeological concerns were similarly overlooked, with no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted despite the tunnel's proximity to Rajakaluves and lakes like Hebbal Lake, BMLTA noted. Additionally, the project underestimates land acquisition needs for entry/exit ramps, ventilation shafts, and impacted buildings, such as those near Silk Board, with no associated cost estimates, leading to an incomplete financial analysis, as per BMLTA. BBMP's cost estimates exclude critical components like land acquisition, ecological mitigation, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), and surface traffic management, while the financial model fails to assess realistic toll revenue under reduced demand scenarios, it said. BMLTA also highlighted conflicts with Metro infrastructure, with BBMP identifying only three tunnel-metro conflict points compared to the agency's identification of 11, including six with existing or proposed Metro lines and five at ramp locations. Satya Arikutharam, an urban mobility expert, said, 'I am not at all surprised by the BMLTA review comments. This is exactly what the city has been trying to say to the Government for the past one year. I hope BMLTA's sound advice is taken seriously, and the government abandons the unscientific car-only tunnel. Strengthening public transport is the only proven way forward for Bengaluru. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Prepare 30-year mobility blueprint for Pune region: Fadnavis
Pune -Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed that the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad be finalised in coordination with all concerned departments. He emphasised the need for an integrated blueprint for grade separators, ring road separators, and tunnel separators. He also instructed that long-term measures be implemented to resolve traffic congestion, keeping in mind the next 30 years. Prepare 30-year mobility blueprint for Pune region: Fadnavis Fadnavis was speaking at the presentation of the 'Pune City Comprehensive Mobility Plan' organised by the Maha-Metro at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration. The meeting was attended by deputy chief minister and Pune district guardian minister Ajit Pawar; union minister of state for cooperation Murlidhar Mohol; state higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Dada Patil; Mitra organisation CEO Praveen Singh Pardeshi; chief secretary Rajesh Kumar; additional chief secretary (home) Iqbal Singh Chahal; director-general of police Rashmi Shukla; principal secretary Ashwini Bhide; Maha-Metro managing director Shravan Hardikar; and other senior officials. 'The mobility plan involves an estimated investment of ₹1.3 lakh crore, with ₹62,000 crore to be invested in the first phase. As per the plan, the target is to increase the share of public transport to 30% in the first phase, and eventually to 50%. Public transport services should be accessible within 500 metres for every individual. While the responsibilities of all departments should be clearly defined and the plan should aim to achieve an average speed of 30 kmph in metropolitan areas,' said Fadnavis. Ajit Pawar highlighted that the state government is committed to tackling traffic congestion by developing the Pune Metro network. 'The CMP includes a proposed metro line from Hadapsar to Loni Kalbhor. However, considering the city's growing population and increasing congestion on the Pune-Solapur highway, we are evaluating the possibility of extending the line from Hadapsar to Uruli Kanchan instead,' Pawar said. He also called for water supply planning to meet the growing needs of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad While Shravan Hardikar informed that the initial mobility plan was prepared in 2018. The revised plan now incorporates projections for 2054, considering population growth, road accidents, urbanisation trends, and corresponding expansions in the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus services, depots, metro services, and bus rapid transit system (BRTS) corridors. 'It also includes plans for the Purandar airport access road, ring road, missing link connections, cycling network, main market roads, truck terminals, logistics hubs, multi-modal integration hubs, public transport terminals, tourism development projects, employment generation, and anticipated growth in the IT sector. The plan covers an area of 2,550 square kilometres and has been submitted to the state government for approval,' said Hardikar. Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Shekhar Singh gave presentations on traffic management plans for their respective cities, while police commissioners Amitesh Kumar and Vinay Kumar Choubey presented details on measures to ease congestion within municipal limits and their implementation strategies. The meeting was also attended by MLAs Yogesh Tilak, Bhimrao Tapkir, Bapusaheb Pathare, and Hemant Rasane; divisional commissioner Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar; Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) CEO Yogesh Mhase; Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi; and Zilla Parishad CEO Gajanan Patil among others.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Pune Metropolitan Region recommends adding 312km of Metro corridors, 552km of missing link roads
1 2 Pune: The Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) tabled by Maha Metro on Friday for the metropolitan region includes key recommendations to add 312km of Metro and Metro-Lite corridors, beyond the currently operational and under-construction networks. The plan also proposes working on 552km of missing links in PMC and PCMC areas, alongside at least 438km of road widening. To meet growing demand, the plan recommends increasing the PMPML bus fleet to 4,000 buses in the near future, besides adding 80.5km of new Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridors and 46.3km of High Frequency Bus Corridors. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Maha Metro's managing director Shravan Hardikar said, "The earlier CMP was drafted in 2018. In the new plan, various issues of transportation have been considered for an area of 2,250sqkm in and around Pune, including connectivity to the proposed Purandar airport, which is planned via Metro, Indian Railways, and road networks." The total estimated cost of implementing all CMP recommendations is approximately Rs1.33 lakh crore. It is planned to be implemented in three phases toll 2054. To support green mobility and transport, the CMP also recommends 341km of footpaths and 230km of cycle tracks in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), along with 266km of footpaths and 170km of cycle tracks in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo It further identifies the need for pedestrian grade-separated crossings at 16 key locations. The logistics and freight component includes the proposal for 14 truck terminals, seven logistics hubs, and 26 multi-modal transport hubs across Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR). Civic activists and transport experts welcomed the CMP, but said authorities should begin implementation of recommendations at the earliest, seeing that daily traffic in PMR has already reached a critical stage. Activist Sanjay Shitole, who has been following issues of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) for the last several years, said, "Strengthening of public transport, including PMPML and Metro, is a major challenge. The plan should provide adequate funds and their effective utilisation." The CMP was presented before chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The latter also recommended extension of the proposed Hadapsar-Loni Metro line up to Uruli Kanchan instead of Loni. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
To increase speed from 12 to 30 km/h by Dec 2026: Govt prepares plan to resolve traffic woes in Pune, increase travel speed
Concerned over the traffic situation in Pune that has slowed down speed and increased travel time, the Maharashtra government has prepared a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) of Rs 1.30 lakh crore to resolve the traffic issues in Pune Metropolitan Region and take up infrastructure works that would increase the average travel speed in Pune to 30 km per hour by December 2026 from the existing speed of 12 km per hour. 'The current travel speed in Pune is 12 km per hour, which is very slow. Thus, there will be efforts taken to increase the speed of travel to 30 km per hour, which is the global benchmark for metro cities. This we will try to achieve by December 2026; so the infrastructure work will be sped up in Pune,' said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He said that the CMP is for 2200 Sq km area of Pune Metropolitan Region including Pune city and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has been prepared considering the future needs of Pune. The CMP will be implemented in three phases in next 30 years, Fadnavis said adding, 'The total cost of implementation is Rs 1.30 lakh crore while the first phase implementation will require 62,000 crore. The focus in CMP is to strengthen the public transport system in Pune with objectives to increase the public mobility in Pune via public transport to 30 percent and then to 50 percent, he said. The chief minister said, 'The CMP will ensure that the public transport is available to citizens within 500 metres of the start and end of their destination, so various available public transport integration has been planned.' He said a network would be created of roads, tunnels, railway over bridges, grade separators in Pune for smooth and fast flow of traffic. 'The roles and responsibilities of all different stakeholders have been fixed. Any traffic and transport related projects taken up by stakeholders should be in accordance with the CMP,' said Fadnavis. There are short term works proposed by PMC and PCMC under CMP, he said the state government has approved the proposed intervention for resolving traffic issues which include removing 35 bottlenecks, developing missing link roads, use of Area Traffic Management System (ATMS) in 503 junctions that would help projection and steps for smooth flow of traffic smooth. In core Pune, Fadnavis said only six percent of land is used for roads which are very narrow and traffic dispersal is difficult so a network of tunnels is must and is being planned in the congested area. The Bus public transport has to be planned properly and increase the present fleet of 2,000 to 6,000 buses for PMPML in two years, said Fadnavis. On canceling the Development Plan of PMRDA, the chief minister said it will not affect the implementation of CMP in the Metropolitan Region. 'The state government would soon issue notification and appoint an agency for creating a road network in Pune Metropolitan Region Town Planning schemes which will be allowed for planned development. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
From 12 to 30 km per hour by Dec 2026: State Govt plans steps to increase travel speed in Pune
Concerned over the traffic situation in Pune that has slowed down speed and increased travel time, the Maharashtra government has prepared a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) of Rs 1.30 lakh crore to resolve the traffic issues in Pune Metropolitan Region and take up infrastructure works that would increase the average travel speed in Pune to 30 km per hour by December 2026 from the existing speed of 12 km per hour. 'The current travel speed in Pune is 12 km per hour, which is very slow. Thus, there will be efforts taken to increase the speed of travel to 30 km per hour, which is the global benchmark for metro cities. This we will try to achieve by December 2026; so the infrastructure work will be sped up in Pune,' said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He said that the CMP is for 2200 Sq km area of Pune Metropolitan Region including Pune city and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has been prepared considering the future needs of Pune. The CMP will be implemented in three phases in next 30 years, Fadnavis said adding, 'The total cost of implementation is Rs 1.30 lakh crore while the first phase implementation will require 62,000 crore. The focus in CMP is to strengthen the public transport system in Pune with objectives to increase the public mobility in Pune via public transport to 30 percent and then to 50 percent, he said. The chief minister said, 'The CMP will ensure that the public transport is available to citizens within 500 metres of the start and end of their destination, so various available public transport integration has been planned.' He said a network would be created of roads, tunnels, railway over bridges, grade separators in Pune for smooth and fast flow of traffic. 'The roles and responsibilities of all different stakeholders have been fixed. Any traffic and transport related projects taken up by stakeholders should be in accordance with the CMP,' said Fadnavis. There are short term works proposed by PMC and PCMC under CMP, he said the state government has approved the proposed intervention for resolving traffic issues which include removing 35 bottlenecks, developing missing link roads, use of Area Traffic Management System (ATMS) in 503 junctions that would help projection and steps for smooth flow of traffic smooth. In core Pune, Fadnavis said only six percent of land is used for roads which are very narrow and traffic dispersal is difficult so a network of tunnels is must and is being planned in the congested area. The Bus public transport has to be planned properly and increase the present fleet of 2,000 to 6,000 buses for PMPML in two years, said Fadnavis. On canceling the Development Plan of PMRDA, the chief minister said it will not affect the implementation of CMP in the Metropolitan Region. 'The state government would soon issue notification and appoint an agency for creating a road network in Pune Metropolitan Region Town Planning schemes which will be allowed for planned development.
