09-05-2025
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.
