Chandigarh, 1 January 2025 – City MP Manish Tewari has reiterated his support for the Metro rail project as a solution to the growing traffic congestion in Chandigarh and surrounding areas, calling it crucial for the region’s economic and employment development.
Tewari, who chaired a meeting of the transport sub-committee of the UT administrator’s advisory council, emphasized the need for a comprehensive Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) to connect Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, and New Chandigarh. He highlighted that the system would serve as an economic and job growth multiplier. “It will be impossible to commute without a Metro in 10 years,” Tewari stated, urging long-term planning for the region’s transportation needs.
The meeting also saw Tewari suggest that the newly proposed Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA) must focus on the transportation requirements of the Tricity from a 30-year perspective to ensure sustainable mobility and growth.
Earlier in November, Union Minister for Power, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, had visited the city and instructed the UT administration to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the Metro rail project, despite concerns over anticipated low ridership numbers. The minister, who expressed caution about the Metro’s feasibility, mentioned the need for ridership projections before further action.
Khattar raised questions about the operational costs once capital expenditure was covered, and suggested exploring alternative transportation solutions, such as a pod taxi system. The city’s heritage status would also play a role in assessing the Metro’s viability, he added.
RITES, a Railways subsidiary, had earlier recommended a two-coach Metro system in its draft report, citing it as the most viable option to meet the Tricity’s mass transport needs. The report, based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis, concluded that the Metro system would be the best solution for the region’s future MRTS requirements.
