The funding and execution plan for the two monorail corridors that the government unveiled on Monday would differ from each other. While the Poonamallee-Kathipara line is planned to be executed through public-private partnership on ‘design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis’ at an estimated project cost of Rs. 3,267 crore, the second line from Vandalur to Velachery is proposed to be taken up under multilateral funding with an estimated project cost of Rs. 3,135.63 crore, the policy note tabled by minister Mr. Vijayabhaskar in the Assembly said.
Plan to increase shareA proposal for the line between Vandalur and Velachery has been sent to the Government of India, the note said.
“The share of public transport in the urban transport system of Chennai is currently 27 per cent which is eventually proposed to be increased to 46 per cent by 2026.
The government of Tamil Nadu has decided to implement the monorail project in Chennai to integrate the existing and upcoming transport systems,” the policy note said.
This is the third time the AIADMK government is making efforts to set up the mono rail network. In 2006, Ms. Jayalalithaa announced a proposal to set up 300 km of monorail comprising 18 corridors. However, when the DMK came to power later that year, the party went ahead with the proposal to set up the metro rail. In 2011, Ms. Jayalalithaa again revived plans to set up the monorail. The State government had also planned to integrate the two rail systems where Metro would meet the monorail at Vadapalani and Kathipara.
Integrated metro transportMr. Vijayabhaskar also announced that initial work has begun to establish a Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) for monitoring various aspects of integrated metropolitan transport for the city.
CUMTA will provide better co-ordination among various mass transport agencies such as the MRTS, Metro Rail, the proposed monorail, MTC and agencies like the Chennai Corporation, Traffic Police and CMDA, Mr. Vijayabhaskar said.
