Over 4 a long time for the reason that first Metro rail was began in India, the federal government is contemplating adjustments to current laws and drafting new insurance policies to hurry up new initiatives and make current networks extra handy for customers, The Indian Categorical has learnt.
From amending provisions associated to land acquisition to new insurance policies for parking at metro stations and rising non-fare field income, managing administrators of Metro Rail corporations and officers of the Union Ministry of Housing and City Affairs (MoHUA) have made a spread of suggestions at a latest convention. The convention, held on March 31 and April 1 in Gandhinagar, noticed the participation of senior ministry officers, MDs, and different officers of all metro firms.
In keeping with sources, all contributors raised issues over the time taken to accumulate land for metro initiatives because of the requirement of conducting a social influence evaluation below the Proper to Honest Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Citing the examples of Gujarat and Maharashtra, the place exemptions had been issued, the convention determined that different state governments must also amend the Act to dispense with the social influence evaluation for Metro initiatives, it’s learnt.
The officers additionally deliberated on amending the Metro Railways (Building of Works) Act, 1978, which doesn’t require a social influence evaluation, however solely empowers the Union authorities for land acquisition. It was determined that “appropriate modification” was wanted within the Act to empower the Metro Rail administration or the suitable authorities to accumulate land as effectively, a supply stated.
To extend non-fare income, the convention determined that residential growth round metro corridors, long-term leases, and better ground space ratios ought to be allowed. Additionally they instructed that cargo ought to be allowed to be transported on metro trains in non-peak hours. The convention determined to arrange a committee to recommend coverage or laws to extend non-fare field income.
To make metro stations extra handy for customers, the officers mentioned making extra multi-level parking, in addition to basement parking at underground stations. For this, too, they determined to arrange a committee for drafting a parking coverage, in response to sources.
As of January this yr, there’s about 1,000 km of metro community purposeful throughout 23 cities, with round 1,000 km extra below development, as per information from the Ministry of Housing and City Affairs. This makes India’s metro community the third largest on the earth. The primary metro was opened in Kolkata in 1984.
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Whereas evaluating the functioning of metros within the nation, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and City Affairs had in 2022 flagged the necessity to improve ridership and flagged the dearth of parking as one of many causes for commuters to remain away. As of December 2024, the full every day ridership of all Metros was round 1 crore. The committee had additionally beneficial rising non-fare field income.
“It’s disheartening for the Committee to watch that barring Delhi and Mumbai Line 1, many of the operational metros viz Bengaluru metro, Hyderabad metro, Lucknow metro, Chennai metro, Kolkata metro and Kochi metro have low ridership…The dismal efficiency of nearly all of the metro rail networks by way of carrying passengers sufficient to breakeven even after six to seven years of steady operations exhibits that (i) defective DPRs [detailed project reports], (ii) lack of correct planning to offer first and final mile connectivity, (iii) provision of parking at metro rail stations, (iv) want for rising catchment space, and so on,” the committee’s report in April 2022 had stated.
The committee had beneficial {that a} “compelling proposition ought to be made obtainable to them [commuters] by way of consolation, comfort, high quality, affordability and reliability, and so on.”