Noida floats tender to rope in expert agency to address traffic woes

The authority also wants the selected agency to prepare a comprehensive integrated mobility plan that ensures smooth flow of traffic in the city

The Noida authority on Wednesday said it has floated a tender inviting proposals from expert agencies to help address traffic congestion issues and streamline traffic management in the city.

The traffic congestion on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway on Tuesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The authority also wants the selected agency to prepare a comprehensive integrated mobility plan that ensures smooth flow of traffic in the city.

This is the second time that the authority has started the process to pick an agency that can prepare an action plan or a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP). Earlier in 2022, the authority issued a tender inviting the proposals but no company showed an interest in the project, prompting the authority to issue the tender once again, said officials.

CMP is aimed at preparing an action plan to resolve traffic management issues in all adjoining cities including Noida, Greater Noida, the Yamuna Expressway, and neighbouring towns.

“The plan aims to reduce congestion, improve public transport, and streamline freight movement to support the area’s rapid growth. One of the key agendas of the CMP is to make sure that commuters take only a maximum of 30 minutes to travel from end of the city to the other, without facing any traffic congestion,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer, Noida authority.

The Uttar Pradesh government’s senior officials are of the view that even after building expressways, Metro and introducing better management technology the travel time between Noida and Delhi has increased, growing from 40-50 minutes 25 years ago to 110-110 minutes in the present day. The region suffers from daily traffic gridlocks, and with a growing population and upcoming projects such as the Noida international airport in Jewar, the situation is expected to aggravate further, said officials.

Noida, Greater Noida, the Yamuna Expressway, and the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region (DNGIR) are important industrial hubs in the region.

Freight and logistics movement is critical for these areas, which are rapidly developing as key industrial sectors in the National Capital Region (NCR) and hubs for information technology in North India.

With several major infrastructure projects in the pipeline, additional greenfield cities are expected to emerge in the region, said officials. The CMP is being developed to address these challenges and ensure smooth, efficient, and sustainable mobility for the next 50 years, they said.

“The CMP has an objective to develop an integrated transport system that can address to the region’s long-term needs, focusing on high-speed connectivity, expanded public transport, and environmental sustainability. To implement this vision, the Noida authority has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to hire a consultancy firm. The selected consultant will conceptualise traffic solutions, conduct detailed surveys, and design a transportation strategy that addresses short-, medium-, and long-term needs. Public engagement will be central to the CMP’s development, with workshops and consultations held to gather input from residents, businesses, and other stakeholders,” said another Noida authority official, asking not to be named.

In April 2022, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to create a regional mobility plan based on the concept of regional economic geography, encompassing Noida, Greater Noida, and the Yamuna Expressway.

“The Noida authority must take serious and effective measures now as traffic management is pathetic in the city. The authority must free up its service roads from encroachment and remove all choke points hindering traffic,” said Atul Gupta, president, UP Architects Association, Noida chapter.