Gujarat Plus - Gujarat on Web

Mass rapid transit systems yet to overcome hurdles Tuesday, August 28, 2001

TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Even as the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) has taken up the Rs 3000-crore integrated public transit system (IPTS) study for Ahmedabad, the mass rapid transit system (MRTS) projects across the country still have to cross the hurdle of institutional and legal framework that exists today.

After the tricky issue of funding of these capital-intensive MRTS and light rail transit system (LRTS) projects, it was the legal framework required for implementation of any urban mass rapid transit system (UMRTS) which needed to be addressed by the authorities concerned.

Today, MRTS projects in Pune and Bangalore are under implementation, those under planning stage are in Bangalore, Thane, Andheri, Ghatkopar and Kolkata (LRT) while Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kanpur and Lucknow are under consideration.

Bangalore Mass Rail Transport Ltd executive director B S C Rao, who made a presentation on this topic at a seminar on Friday here, said that since the MRTS project would develop rail transport system along with the feeder transport system, it would come under either the Indian Railways Act (if the plan stretches beyond city limits) or the Tramway Act (within city limits).

Here is where problem crept up. If the project came under railways then it came under the purview of the Centre, but tramways would be a state subject. For the smoother and speedier implementation of the project, it was necessary to implement it under the Tramway Act, but that would mean that the plan could not be stretched beyond municipality limit, so slight amendment of the Tramway Act was required.

Another problem dogging the system was the involvement of the Indian Railways in the project. As the railways, which was primarily responsible for the inter-city rail transport, was not in the position to regulate or fund any other segment other than itself, there was question of how far the railways should be involved.

Railway board executive director (projects) Pankaj Jain is of the view that railways will not be in the position to invest in the development of urban transport system nor it will be in its interest given the fact that most of these systems are financially unviable.

According to him, the fact that some of these projects, though financially unviable may be economically viable, does not help railways as these economic benefits do not get transferred to railways in the existing arrangement of things.

Speakers at the seminar suggested that the public private partnership (PPP) route should be taken to fund these projects.
To tackle the funding issue, it was suggested that a central mass transit fund should be created and to dissolve any risk that may be attached to such projects, a state and Central government guarantee for loans should be provided.
It was suggested that tax holiday, exemption from taxes and duties would go a long way in giving a boost to such projects. Lastly, any move to totally indigenise the MRTS would be foolhardy as India did not have the sufficient knowledge base, expertise or technology for the same.
Louis Berger International Limited CEO Michele Jinclinski, however, felt that indigenisation was important for operation and maintenance of the MRTS.

News Source : Times Of India News Service [ Lightning News ]

 

This site is dedicated to our friend Younus M, who passed away on 28th Sept 00, and left on us an indelible memories ! - Team GujaratPlus.com

[P] Privacy Policy | © Copyright 2000-2006 |

Designed & Hosted by eZee Web Solutions