The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) has begun a field investigation in the city to draft a first-of-its-kind Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Kozhikode.
The CMP will be made mandatory for seeking grant from the Urban Affairs Ministry for any mass transportation project for the city.
The plan is a technical document containing short, medium, and long-term schemes, and action plans for the mobility of people and goods with emphasis on mass transport system in an urban area.
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The investigators will contact a cross-section of people, including commuters, vehicle drivers, owners, and residents from the city and adjoining areas, to get data regarding their transportation requirements. Different tools, including surveys, will be employed for the purpose.
Official sources say the CMP aims at preparing a long-term mobility vision for the city that would spell out the desired mix of public transport, non-motorised transport, and personal transport in the projected travel area. It also aims at identifying the long-term transportation needs of the city besides improving connectivity throughout the city and the region.
Developing a mobility plan that will address integration of land use and transportation besides developing an urban travel demand model for travel forecasting and evaluation purposes will also be among its objectives.
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Though isolated studies have been conducted for different purposes, it is for the first time that a CMP is being prepared for the city, says S. Shaheem, one of the Natpac team members posted in the city for the task. “It (CMP) will be a reference document for any agency or authority that will want to develop a transportation infrastructure for the city in the future,” he says, maintaining that the CMP will also be mandatory for seeking grant from the Urban Affairs Ministry for any mass transportation project for the city in the future.
Based on a preliminary investigation and a clear-cut understanding of the requirements of the CMP, a systematic, phased, and integrated approach will be formulated for conducting the study and delivering the results within the stipulated timeframe.
Eight major activitiesThe study, Mr. Shaheem says, will be conducted through eight major activities. “They include a stakeholders’ workshop, different kinds of surveys, and creation of a travel demand modelling,” he says.
All modes of transport including the local and mofussil services will be integrated in the CMP, which is expected to be completed in three months.
The public can put forward their suggestions to the Natpac officials when they approach them. They can also be reached over phone for suggestions. Ph: 0495 2305505.