Unified metropolitan transport authority for Vizag mooted in VUDA limits

City Police Commissioner B. Shivadhar Reddy, District Collector V. Seshadri, GVMC Commissioner M. V. Satyanarayana, and VUDA Vice Chairman N. Yuvaraj along with other officials attending the preliminary meeting on the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority held at the VUDA Office. Photo: Special Arrangement

In view of the expanding boundaries of the city and development of multiple modes of public transport, a unified metropolitan transport authority has been mooted in the VUDA jurisdiction.

The authority aims at development of a very effective road transportation and traffic management system making the VMR area and its surroundings well connected and keeping the increasing demand for transportation infrastructure in mind.

A preliminary meeting was convened at VUDA Office on Tuesday, where District Collector V Seshadri, City Police Commissioner B Sivadhar Reddy, GVMC Commissioner MV Satyanarayana, VUDA Vice-Chairman N Yuvaraj, GVMC Additional Commissioner M Janaki, VUDA Chief Urban Planner RJ Vidyullatha, and district Additional SP DN Kishore attended.

Dr Yuvaraj said the government through a GO MS No.616 had constituted the authority to coordinate various departments and agencies in the matters relating to traffic and transportation and to integrate various modes of public transport like rail, bus and other systems in a compatible manner and prepare a road map for implementation of the comprehensive transportation plan.

A committee for the unified metropolitan transport authority has also been constituted by the State government for which the Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban development Department will act as Chairman and Principal Secretary of TR & B Department, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of APSRTC, Commissioner of Transport, Waltair Divisional Railway Manager, Member-Secretary of AP Pollution Control Board, VUDA Vice Chairman, GVMC Commissioner, Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner, District Collectors of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, Director of Town and Country Planning and other experts as members.

VUDA Chief Engineer I Viswanatha Rao, GVMC Chief Engineer B Jayarami Reddy, Additional Commissioner (Projects) B Nagesh Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) V Suresh Babu, VUDA Executive Engineers V Bhavani Shankar, M Balarama Raju, G Kalpana, I Surayya, D.V. Verma, M Appanna, planning officer KD Brainard, GVMC EEs KVN Ravi, Damodhar and Lea Associates South Asia (LASA) General Manager Mahalingam and others were present.