Talking on the matter of having a metro network in Chandigarh, Former MP Kirron Kher on Saturday said that “Chandigarh does not need a Metro at all”, The Indian Express reported. She backed her opinion by saying that with the Metro project, the entire city will “uprooted”, adding that a congestion tax could be brought in like in foreign countries to reduce congestion.
However, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari said that the Metro is a “futuristic project” and would benefit not just Chandigarh but neighbouring cities as well. Tewari also voiced concern over the prolonged delay in the Metro project and called for its swift completion, citing the worsening traffic congestion with each passing day.
Kher voiced her opinion in a meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council (AAC). In the meeting she said that the Metro project is not viable at all. “Moreover, Metro won’t be coming immediately. It will take 15-20 years, if approved,” she added.
“It’s better to bring in things like congestion tax, like Central London, here to ease traffic congestion,” she suggested.
Chandigarh Metro project
As per an analysis report by RITES agency, a two-coach Metro train for the city for Rs 24,000 crore. In the previous meeting, the administration stated that it would conduct a viability study for the Metro project.
During the Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA) meeting, UT Administrator and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria recommended that the authorities assess the Metro’s viability before proceeding with the project.
As part of Phase-I, which is slated for completion by 2032, an 85.65-km stretch has been proposed for the Tricity area, including both overground and underground sections, with 16.5 km of the route planned underground through Chandigarh’s heritage sectors.