Over 980 km of metro rail and RRTS are currently under construction in India: Hardeep S Puri

Kochi, India (Urban Transport News): Expressing his happiness at organisation of 15th Edition of Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Expo 2022 at Kochi, Kerala, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said Kochi is the apt choice for hosting this 15th edition of the Urban Mobility India Conference and Exhibition as it has distinguished itself as an exemplar city for promoting seamless public transportation in urban areas. Its focus on creating a system that encourages people to switch from personal vehicles to public modes of transport is a laudable objective. It aligns with the Centre’s objective of ‘moving people rather than vehicles.’

Hardeep S. Puri and Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan jointly inaugurated 15th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Expo 2022 in Kochi on 4th November 2022. The event was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with Govt. of Kerala from 4th to 6th November, 2022 at Hotel Grand Hyatt Kochi, Kerala. Senior officers from Central and State Governments policy makers, Managing Directors of Metro Rail Companies, Chief Executives of transport undertakings, International experts, professionals, academicians and students will participate in this event.

Acknowledging the incorporation of best practices/ learnings from other countries into Indian Urban Mobility Systems, Puri said that we have been able to learn from the experience of other countries. The metro lines that we are introducing today are the kind of systems which are incorporating the best practices from others.

Our process of indigenization is going to contribute to also an experience wherein we will be able to share with other countries placed in the similar level of the developmental ladder, he added further.

Touching upon the rapid progress of Indian Metro lines in global context, the Minister said that as of September 2022, 810 kms of metro line are operational in 20 cities and a network of more than 980 kms of metro network and RRTS is currently under construction in 27 cities. India currently has the fifth-largest metro network in the world, and will soon overtake advanced economies such as Japan and South Korea to become the third-largest network. These developments will lead to a significant reduction of traffic congestion and the associated air quality and emissions concerns.

He expressed satisfaction for his association with transport and the evolution of metro systems and other transport systems over the period of five years.

Puri congratulated the Kochi Metro for the innovative Kochi Water Metro project, which will connect 10 islands through 15 routes and will cater to a daily ridership of more than 100,000 people across 78 kilometres of network. Not only will the water Metro revive the traditional water train and travel routes once ubiquitous in the city. It will also provide a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to daily commuters. Inland water transport is inherently more energy efficient than road or rail transport, he mentioned.

Reiterating the commitment to have an efficient and green transportation systems in urban areas to achieve the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Panch Pran’ target, Puri said that the government, under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to the responsibility of achieving these goals.  In this Amrit Kaal of India’s development, the government is already looking ahead to the coming decades. In fact, in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2022, the Prime Minister outlined the roadmap for India @2047 with the ‘Panch Pran’ to make India a developed country. These five commitments were:

1. Big resolve for a Developed India;
2. Let not a single trace of slavery remain in us;
3. We should be proud of our heritage;
4. We have to live in unity and solidarity; and
5. Every citizen should perform his duty.

A developed India by 2047 makes it imperative that urban mobility is a crucial driver towards that goal, especially since nearly 50% of the population will be in urban areas.

In his concluding remarks, Puri said that we can start preparing the roadmap for what urban transport will look like in 2047.