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Chandigarh to count on visitors for metro project by puneetmafia on 17 May, 2013 - 03:00 AM
avatar puneetmafia Chandigarh to count on visitors for metro project on 17 May, 2013 - 03:00 AM

The Chandigarh administration has reworked the numbers to overcome a key rider of 20 lakh population, the minimum number the central government mandates for a Metro rail project. The union territories regional approach regarding passengers will enable it to cross the impediment. Since Chandigarh's population is just 10.5 lakh it is disqualified for a metro project. However, the administration plans to project population of 20 lakh of the entire Chandigarh Capital Region in the mass rapid transit system.  
The proposal will be discussed at a meeting scheduled for 21 May in New Delhi.  
The project can be viable if a regional approach is taken with heavy inflow of passengers from the city's adjoining areas. The financial viability of Metro rail project would, however depend on attracting a sizeable number of passengers from nearby towns of Punjab and Haryana.  
At present, more than four lakh vehicles drive into the city from Panchkula and Mohali, and the metro rail is expected to take much of this load off the road network. Along with projections of Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in its detailed project report, has calculated the number of passengers likely to take the Metro. PHPDT is the number of passengers passing a specific point along a transit line in unit time.  
According to the calculation, for corridor I planned from Capitol Complex to Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan in Sector 70 of Mohali, if 1.1 lakh passengers from Chandigarh travel by Metro, 53,309 will be from different parts of Punjab on the city's periphery. It will have projected PHPDT of 7,007.  
Similarly, for corridor II planned from Grain Market near Sector 21 of Panchkula to transport terminal, around 1.7 lakh passenger trips per day are expected with 1.1 lakh passengers from Chandigarh, 14,645 from Punjab and 40,804 passengers from Haryana.  
Just a week ago, the Haryana government has decided to join Chandigarh in the ambitious Metro rail project that will connect the tricity of Chandigarh – Panchkula - SAS Nagar.