The Centre is studying a proposal for developing a new, elevated electricity-based Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) to fight air pollution in urban metropolises like Delhi and Mumbai and convert them into smart and green cities.
“A proposal has come for an electricity-based elevated transport system. The capital cost of this model is one-fourth compared to that of the Metro rail systems,” said an official in the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
“Rising number of vehicles on the streets are putting a burden on the environment and choking movement within the metros. The Minister (Nitin Gadakri) has also said that we need to think of electricity-run mass rapid transport system to tackle the issue,” he said.
The Government has initiated the technical testing under this proposal. The proposal is however, at a very nascent stage.
“It has also been proposed that electricity-based MRTS be tried at some places on a priority basis. So, after the technical analysis is through, approval from the Cabinet will be sought,” he said.
The Government proposes to have such transport systems in smart cities, which are proposed to come up in Special Economic Zones in Kandla port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust.
Recently, at the launch of e-magazine for National Highways Authority of India, Union Minister for Roads Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that the push for e-rickshaws is also a step in the same direction, as it will be eco-friendly.
Gadkari had said that the smart cities of the future will have “green fuel, water recycling, health education facilities, good roads, parks, industrial and economic zones, job opportunities, low-cost housing for the poor, land development, solid and liquid waste management and a pollution -free, good development model.”
As another immediate measure to curb the air pollution in the national Capital, the Government has already planned a new ring road and efforts are on to “identify traffic bottlenecks” which need removing. The Government is studying the bids which have come in for developing the new ring road — the Eastern Peripheral Road. The Centre has decided to build it under the Equipment-procurement- Construction (EPC) mode, where the Government will bear the construction cost of `6,000 crore.
“It is a cement-concrete road, and work on it will begin in one month,” said an official from the Ministry.
“We have already received the tenders , only the permission is pending and, as and when we get it, we will start the work,” he said.
The Eastern Peripheral Road will handle 55 to 60 per cent of the traffic headed away from Delhi. So, the traffic headed to Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and HP will move outside the city limits.