Dy CM Pawar re-defines HCMTR: Green corridor, Neo Metro, and no private vehicles
Pawar on Friday, instructed the municipal administration to scrap the earlier six-lane elevated route and convert it into a green corridor and to allow only public transport to ply on the route
Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra and Pune district guardian minister, on Friday made major modifications to former chief minister Devendra Fadnavi’s Rs 5,096 crore project - the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR).
Pawar on Friday, instructed the municipal administration to scrap the earlier six-lane elevated route and convert it into a green corridor and to allow only public transport to ply on the route.
Pawar also asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha-Metro) introduce the Neo Metro along the HCMTR route instead of the previously planned Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS)
“Instead of constructing the six-lane HCMTR, PMC officers must take the cue from the Pimpri-Chinchwad model and convert HCMTR into a green corridor, where only public transport will be allowed. Neo-Metro will be executed on this corridor, which is similar to the one planned in PCMC,” said Pawar.
PMC commissioner Saurabh Rao, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) commissioner Vikram Kumar, Maha-Metro managing director Brijesh Dixit, MLA Chetan Tupe and MLA Sunil Tingre were present for the meeting which took place at the circuit house on Friday.
PMC commissioner Saurabh Rao had recently scrapped the HCMTR tendering process as the cost was inflated. Two international bids were submitted, one by the Adani Group comprising Welspun and China Third Engineering and the second bid was by Gawar Group and the Chinese firm Longgin. PMC commissioner and administration told Pawar that they could not bear the cost.
As per the previous plan, HCMTR was supposed to be an elevated road with six lanes envisaged as an inner ring road of 35.96km with two dedicated lanes for the BRTS, with 26 stations, and four lanes for four-wheelers with 17 up-ramps and 16 down ramps.
What is Neo Metro
Maharashtra Metro Rail corporation has introduced the Neo Metro, which has elements of the tram, metro, bus and BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System). It is a hybrid model. The metro coaches will run on tyres in this model instead of heavy steel wheels. The corridor for Neo Metro will be dedicated and elevated. This model is cost-effective and cheaper than the metro. If the number of passengers increases, this model can be converted into metro by using same infrastructure. This model has already recommended at Pimpri- Chinchwad.
Major modifications for HCMTR
What Pawar wants:
-Scrap six-lane elevated route
-Convert HCMTR into green corridor
-Allow only public transport on HCMTR route
-Introduce Neo Metro along HCMTR route instead of BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System)
Previous plan
HCMTR was supposed to be an elevated road with six lanes envisaged as an inner ring road of 35.96km with two dedicated lanes for the BRTS. with HCMTR will have 26 stations, and four lanes for four-wheelers with 17 up-ramps and 16 down ramps.
Rs 5,096 crore- cost of project