Title - Metro to cover up for poor public transport

JAIPUR: The Jaipur Metro project has come at the right time to cover up for the poor public transport in the state capital. Relating the project to boom in population, private vehicles, industrialization and employment in the recent times, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has complied several reports finds that the existing public transport system is inadequate in terms of quality, quantity and coverage, which could not cope with ever increasing pressure.

The reports say that the Rajasthan Transport Department has about 0.82 million registered motor vehicles (2011), of which 76% or 629,265 are 2-wheelers. A total of 2.7 million vehicular trips are generated every day (2006). A meagre 13-19 % trips are by city buses covering an average distance of about 9 km.

The city has about 350 buses and some 3,500 minibuses, but it is not sufficient to cater to the city people. Most of the people are dependent on private vehicles for daily commuting. A senior Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) official said, "It is expected 2 lakh people will commute by Metro per day till 2014. It is not possible to increase the buses as it would lead to congestion on the roads. Mass rapid transport is the only possible solution."

In terms of population, Jaipur is the 10th largest metropolitan city of India. The city has been growing at a higher rate compared to the population growth in the district. The development area of the city as per Jaipur Master Plan 2025 extends over 600 sq km. An official said, "It is not possible for other mode to travel quickly with large number of commuters. A Metro can accommodate commuters of 5 buses in one coach. The total capacity of the train is 1,034 passengers."

The official added that the project will benefit all sections of the society, especially weaker ones as they will use the most equipped mode of transport at a low cost. "Rajasthan has more population in the lower bracket of per-capita consumer expenditure compared to the national figures," the report reads.

Many students who come from across the country are expected to benefit once the Metro starts operating. "The city is very peaceful and many north Indian families prefer to send their children to Jaipur for higher and technical education. Jaipur has more than 60 engineering colleges, 40 business management institutes, 15 pharmacy institutes, 4 hotel management institutes, 3 medical colleges and 6 dental colleges. It also has eight universities including Rajasthan University and Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, which is one of the best technical institutes in India," reads the report.