The non motorised transport or NMT in Chennai city
Posted on: 18/Jun/2020 11:14:11 AM - No. of views : (3294)
The latest news is that the Ministry of Housing and urban Affairs had instructed Chennai and various cities to boost non-motorised transport or NMT. It had also asked the cities to devise short term, medium term and long term plans.
It is worthy to note that the Ministry has asked the cities to create temporary pedestrian areas, footpaths and cycle lanes after mapping the important routes connecting residential areas from major centres of work. This is regarded as one of the short term plans or 6months plan in encouraging and reviving NMT.
In the same manner, a long term plan has been proposed to introduce cashless e-booking of bicycles and in repairing existing footpaths. In addition to these, the long term plan also included creating a mechanism for a carbon credit system and carbon tax benefits for cyclists.
There is a belief that many would switch to private modes of transport like cars etc. This would be due to the fear of the spread of Coronavirus infection. It is said that this would increase the carbon emission plus traffic on the roads.
Reduced services to places with higher Coronavirus incidence to boost the confidence in public transport among the citizens have been proposed in one of the short term plans. As a part of long term plans, the Ministry had asked the states to implement e-ticketing, digital payment for journey as long term plan.
It is now said that the decision has come at this point of time when all the public modes of transport have been suspended. The presence of Coronavirus infection has put cycle sharing and NMT on hold now.
The civic body would implement its recommendations and this was as per an officer belonging to Chennai Corporation. He hinted that to boost public transport and NMT the department is working on the intelligent transport system or ITS.
He concluded that there would be some discussions with the senior officials and recommendations of the Ministry would be implemented. Information gathered is once when public transport resumes in Chennai the operators have been directed by the Centre to make Arogya Sethu app compulsory for the public using public transport.
