Five Chennai Metro Rail stations will get last mile connectivity facility like electric vehicles of varying capacities next year to facilitate easy travel between stations and destinations of commuters. Thirumangalam, Guindy, Chennai airport, Koyambedu and Alandur Metro Rail stations have been shortlisted to get last mile connectivity vehicles which will drop them near their final destination.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they plan to operate a combination of four seater, five seater, eight seater and 12 seater vehicles in these stations with a five-minute frequency. They will float the expression of interest (EOI) shortly and after a few weeks, they will call for tenders as well. “The reason we opted to go ahead with EOI first is because we needed to see the response from the respective vendors. We want to see their financial capabilities and also look into a few business models. Based on the feedback we receive, we will decide the tender conditions and float the bids,” an official said.
They said, they chose these five stations since they have high footfall in the 54 km network which is functional now. While commuters have been demanding last mile connectivity in all stations for years now, it is not clear why there is a delay and the reason for choosing only five stations initially.
Though mini buses and e-autorickshaws are operating in some of the stations, commuters say last mile connectivity vehicles are a necessity in all stations.
