Manmohan Singh kickstarts Kochi Metro Rail project

Kochi: Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today emphasized the importance of having an efficient ‘multimodal’ transport system, which should efficiently integrate different modes of public transport like buses and trains for the orderly growth and development of Indian cities. 

Speaking on the occasion of foundation stone laying ceremony here for Rs 5180 crore Kochi Metro project, the Prime Minister said, “Unless provisioning of services keeps pace with urbanisation, we will face serious problems of haphazard urban growth, slums and crumbling city infrastructure all-round.” 

Complementing Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and his Cabinet colleague Kamal Nath and team for pursuing Kochi Metro Project with enthusiasm and commitment, Manmohan Singh said, “The Metro would provide this area with a modern mass transport system, not only making it convenient for the residents to commute, but also further facilitating Kochi’s overall social and economic development.”

He said along with a number of big projects which are currently being implemented in and around Kochi, the Central government, under JNNURM, has sanctioned six projects at a total cost of over Rs. 509 crore, out of which the Central share would be more than Rs. 254 crore.

 

Kochi will be the 8^th Indian city with a Metro network under construction. The newly-sanctioned Kochi Metro, which is a joint venture between Central and State governments, will run 25-km from Alwaye to Petta. This project will cost more than Rs 5180 crore, out of which the Central government’s share will be about Rs 1000 crore.

Stressing the importance of having efficient transport system across cities, the Prime Minister said, “By 2031 about 60 crore people will be living in towns and cities and will contribute more than 70 percent of the GDP of the country. The high speed of urbanization hence poses unprecedented managerial and policy challenges that we must address and respond to with courage and determination.” 

“An efficient public transport system helps us meet challenges like traffic congestion, air pollution and the high rates of accidents on roads. However, Metro rail is just one component of an efficient public transport system. We need to build in our cities multimodal transport systems that efficiently integrate different modes of public transport like buses and trains,” he said. 

Informing that detailed project reports for introducing metro rail services to 12 more cities having more than 2 million people have been prepared, Manmohan Singh said, “The Central government is also providing assistance for implementation of Bus Rapid Transit System projects in 11 cities with a network of over 437 km at a cost of more than Rs 5500 crore.”

Paying rich tribute to ‘Metro Man’ Sreedharan, the brain behind Delhi Metro and other Metro rail systems across cities, including the Kochi Metro, he said, with Metro Rail and other infrastructure projects, Kochi would emerge as one of the leading urban centres in the world.

At present Metro Rail Projects are currently under implementation in seven Indian cities. These would cover a network of length 476 km at a cost of more than Rs 1.15 lakh crore. The Delhi Metro is under operation carrying about 22 lakh people every day.