Will the Chennai Metro — which is set to operationalise the 10-km stretch between Koyambedu and Alandur soon — have ticket fares comparable to other modes of public transport? That is the big question being discussed just ahead of the launch.
It looks like the fares will be in the range of Rs. 10 to Rs. 30, with officials planning to keep it on par with the MTC deluxe buses or, perhaps, even the AC ones on some routes.
After discussions and an extensive study by a consultant firm that looked at local demand, travel pattern and the possible ridership along the corridors, officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) are now looking at these figures. “There could be only cosmetic changes in this figure. We will submit this proposal to the State government and settle with the final figure after their approval,” says an official of CMRL.
Some fear that such pricing might restrict patronage to certain sections of the society.
But a few others note that Delhi Metro Rail’s fares, ranging from Rs. 8 to Rs. 30, have not restricted the patronage to any particular section of the society.
This, partly, is due to the extensive reach that Delhi Metro Rail enjoys. “As far as Chennai is concerned, we need to expand access to the Metro by developing complementary public transport services such as BRT and by ensuring that every station has world-class pedestrian access. If we ensure good door-to-door connectivity, commuters won't mind paying a little more,” says Christopher Kost of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
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At one point of time during the last quarter of 2011, the government was to go ahead with proposals to provide connectivity to interior roads in suburbs.
The introduction of mini buses has so far proved to be a success and has reached out to more commuters.
It came as a relief for many who lived in interior areas and depended on share autos to reach the main roads or the nearest railway station.
The 18-seater buses zip past a 24-feet road in Mahalakshmi Nagar, Chitlapakkam, while another bus makes an umpteen number of trips on 20-feet-wide Anna Road in Nagelkeni, near Chromepet.
These buses not only save money for residents, but have also substantially increased the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s revenue. “On an average, a bus brings revenue of over Rs. 7,000 per day, which is almost doubled during festivals happening in a particular area,” says an MTC source.
M. Jayanthi of Nanmangalam says arduous journeys in autos are a thing of the past as the mini bus service connects Nanmangalam with Chromepet in the west and Medavakkam in the east.
Commuters like B. Subramanian want the mini buse service to run on short distant routes to the nearest bus depot or railway station so that high frequency is maintained.
One of the primary reasons for the phasing out of the fleet of 40 mini buses that operated in the city till the mid-1980s was the poor quality of roads. To avoid such a scenario, MTC officials have said that the roads falling under the mini-bus routes should be paved and have a minimum width of 3.5 metres.
(Reporting by Sunitha Sekar and T. Madhavan)
chennaidesk@thehindu.co.in
