MahaMetro and PMC sign multi-modal transport deal

PUNE: The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and Temasek Foundation International-Singapore came together on Wednesday to sign a crucial agreement that promotes multi-modal transport planning in the city.
The agreement has proposed a capacity-building programme on urban mobility and multi-modal transportation planning for the city over three years. About 150 officers from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, PMRDA, PMPML and MahaMetro Corporation, and their associated agencies, would be trained on capacity-building in the area of multi-modal public transportation and integration as well as Metro operations. MahaMetro would play a pivotal role in the execution of this programme. The corporation said multi-modal integration (to ensure increased ridership of the Metro rail system) and various non-fare revenue initiatives will be key to the success and long-term sustainability of the project.

Brijesh Dixit, MahaMetro managing director, said in the case of Pune, the multi-modal integration of Metro would be with railways, PMPML bus services, state transportation, cycle-sharing schemes and other modes of public transport. He added MahaMetro also wanted effective feeder services to ensure that commuters are able to access the Metro services without hassles. Prerana Deshbhratar, the additional commissioner of PMC, said the administration had introduced cycle-sharing plans and dedicated bus routes to promote other modes of transport.

Goh Keng Phang, International Enterprise Singapore's centre director (Mumbai), said since cities across the world have become progressively urbanised, public infrastructure too must be upgraded. Cities like Singapore and Pune have been taking steps to reduce congestion on roads and promote sustainable urban transport - be it through vehicle demand and usage control measures or the provision of efficient alternative modes of transport, he said.