CMDA told to post transport planner as CEO of CUMTA

CHENNAI: Two weeks after the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) Act and its relevant rules were notified, the process to implement it, by appointing the Chief Urban Planner (Transport) of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) as the Chief Executive officer of CUMTA, has begun.

It is learnt that the State government has asked CMDA to provide a separate office for CUMTA as well as appoint the transport planner as Chief Executive Officer. This comes as two of the chief planners of CMDA are set to retire by the month of May. Both of them don’t possess the requisite experience in transport.

Sources said that one of the senior planners does possess the required qualification and could be tipped for the post. This means once the CEO of CUMTA is appointed then all the officers and employees will be appointed by the authority. Interestingly, the CEO will have to look after the administration of the affairs and events of the authority and keep the housing secretary apprised of action taken or proposed in important matters.

It is learnt that once the office and a chief executive officer or member secretary are in place, the government is likely to coopt three members as members to represent operators of new modes of transit, experts in urban transportation and fora representing public transportation, passengers, cyclists, pedestrians and similar groups.

The authority will also constitute committees which are expected to recommend measures for integration of all public mass passenger transport modes by means of various measures including routing and scheduling, operating feeder services and combined or common ticketing to facilitate seamless commuting options to the public.

Sources said the committee will also work on enhancing the equity and efficiency of mass passenger transport modes and para-transit modes to serve the commuting needs of the Chennai Metropolitan Planning Area besides commission studies and research needed to improve the performance or efficiency of the mass passenger transport modes and maintain a data base.

The success of Intelligent Transport System lies in the coordination between the multiple agencies that are responsible for its roll-out. CUMTA, as a coordinating body, can help institute integrated transport planning and decision making.

‘For smarter transit’
CUMTA is key to implementation of `500 crore Intelligent Transport System (ITS) aimed at using modern computers and communications to make travel smarter, faster, safer and more convenient in Chennai