State govt to embark on sustainable urban transport
12 Aug 2022 CW Team
In India, 15 cities have operating metro networks with a total length of 746 km (several of which are
undergoing network extension), while another seven cities have metro projects with a total length of
640 km. Apart from that, 1,400 km of metro rail projects with a total value of $2 trillion are in the
approval/proposal stage. The Centre has allocated Rs 19,130 crore in the Union Budget 2022-23 for
various metro projects in the country.Prime Minister, Narendra Modi performed the Bhoomi-Poojan of Ahmedabad Metro Rail
Project Phase-II and Surat Metro Rail. He stated that the transformation of Surat and
Gandhinagar over the last two decades is a planned approach to urbanisation.
Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh announced the release of India's first indigenously
developed driverless metro car.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri in a written reply in the Lok
Sabha today informed that Urban transport, which is an integral part of urban development, is
a state subject. Hence, respective State Governments are responsible for initiating,
developing, and funding urban transport infrastructure including metro rail projects.
Due to the limited number of companies in the sector, the competition intensity has remained moderate, with no signs of aggressive bidding as seen in other infrastructure segments such as roads and railways.
References: Livemint, IBEF, PIB, HT