Architects’ team points out anomalies in Metro report

The members of Indian Institute of Architects have submitted a representation to the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil highlighting the anomalies present in the report for the Metro Rail. A team of architects headed by architect Archana Chaudhary studied the report that was prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and made observations about the project.

According to the report, the expected transport demand for the year 2018 on Mass Transit Corridors is estimated to be between 7007 PHPDT (Peak hour peak direction traffic) on the north-south corridor and 6711 PHPDT on the east-west corridor. This demand is expected to go up to 31,407 PHPDT to 13,303 PHPDT by year 2041. The architects contend that the Metro is most economically feasible if PHPDT is between 40,000 and 70,000.

The representation states that for the Chandigarh Metro Project, the cross system of network being proposed by the DMRC report is not suitable for the region of Chandigarh. This type of network has hardly been used in any major cities of the world. According to the study of RITES, the major inflow of traffic is from neighbouring areas. Over 4 lakh daily commuters enter Chandigarh from Panchkula, Mohali, Zirakpur, Kharar, Pinjore, Rajpura etc. Therefore, there is a need to integrate these areas by an efficient transport system so that they are well connected with the city also.

The architects state that the most preferred network for the region of Chandigarh shall be Circle Radial System which is considered to be the world's most efficient MRTS system. This shall work best in combination with Bus Rapid Transport System. It is further stated that the technology being proposed for Chandigarh Metro will be outdated by the time the project is commissioned. It will be about 45 years old. The technology is changing very fast and the public money will not have been put to optimum use. It is proposed that Automated Driverless Trains will be used for the Metro, keeping in view the technology advancement as well as the beauty and heritage of the city.

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