Amid the uncertainty over the Light Metro project taking off in Kozhikode, citizen groups have said that the government should first explore the possibility of widening arterial roads, developing new bypass roads and flyovers before venturing into an expensive project such as Light Metro.
“We have not exhausted the options for improving road infrastructure and transport. Prioritise this over a scheme (Light Metro) that cannot do much to solve the chaos on the roads now,” said A. Achyuthan, president of Kozhikode Sustainable Development Initiative, on Tuesday. The Light Metro could come as the next or last option if that was the only option left.
The organisation’s recent open forum on the Light Metro project elicited a common view that the rail project could come after the city had reached a point where nothing more could be done to improve the roads.
Organisations in Kozhikode are focussing on road, rail and waterways as transportation routes. Later this week, the Calicut Chamber of Commerce would hold a meeting to discuss ways to use the waterways across the Malabar region as public and cargo transportation routes.
Coordinator of Citizens’ Voice K. Shaju wondered why the earlier government pushed for Light Metro when it was clear that the overhead rail system would not have even the minimum required passenger volume to sustain its operation.
“We have no hope of meeting the passenger volume target for Light Metro even in 2040,” he said. Citing project reports, Mr. Achyuthan said the Light Metro needed a peak hour passenger volume of 15,000 to sustain it after its launch. Kozhikode city could provide only 6,000 for now.
Mr. Shaju said the city could have low-floor, air-conditioned city bus services, just as the current long distance services. A good number of car users would prefer to travel by such buses as they looked for comfort, and did not mind that extra fare. This would, in turn, bring down the number of cars on the roads.
Many private entities invested in the realty sector. Why not encourage them to invest in quality transport system by removing procedural hurdles and improving the roads, he asked.
Those who argued in favour of Light Metro by citing examples of Singapore and the U.S. should also look at the world-class roads and road transport systems in those countries, he said.
Focus on roads
Citizen groups think Light Metro can’t solve chaos on the city roads
Call for low-floor, air-conditioned city bus services
Need to encourage private investment in quality
transport system stressed
