Punjab plans to implement a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for its urban areas with more than 200,000 population. This is to cap haphazard traffic management plan of urban development, give a blue print for the urban planning and to save resources and funding.
In the first phase, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda and Pathankot have been taken up for preparation of plans and also consultants has been entrusted for the project. While preliminary report for Ludhiana has already been submittted by the consultant.
Interacting with the media, Minister of Local Government, Industries and Commerce, Manoranjan Kalia, said: “The CMP is being prepared taking into consideration projections of population and traffic movement till 2021 & 2031. In first phase, cities with population of more than 200,000 have been taken up for preparation of plans. These include Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda and Pathankot, while plans for Ludhiana have already been entrusted to RITES. The agency have submitted it’s preliminary report.”
While handing over award letters to the companies entrusted this work, Kalia said that through its nodal agency, Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), the department has selected two consultant namely M/s Consulting Engineering Services (India) Pvt. Ltd for Amritsar and Pathankot and M/s Egis India Consulting Engineers Pvt. Ltd for Jalandhar, Bathinda and Patiala for preparing the plans.
He asked the companies to complete exercise within a period of six months. Both consultants companies have executed similar studies in India and abroad.
“Their plan include short term proposals, medium term and long term proposals. Consultants will identify various kinds of traffic corridors like pedestrian facilities, bicycle track, provision of median, service road, carriage way widening etc and suggest appropriate strategy and mode of transports to service them. Study shall suggest Inter-Model Mass Transit System (IMMTS) providing various alternatives for Personal Rapid Transit Systems (PRTS), high capacity Bus System and regular bus system etc. it will be window to detailed future plan for flyovers, under passes, railway over bridge, canal bridges, traffic lights, public transport, bus network, etc,” he envisioned.
Dwelling in the improvement in life of common man the CMP will bring, Kalia said that it would aim at reducing travel time including walk and wait time, provide comfortable transport and ultimately reduce the number of accidents.
