RITES prepares comprehensive public transport platform plan for Varanasi

Varanasi (Urban Transport News): Railway consultancy firm Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has prepared a comprehensive public transport platform plan for Varanasi to redress the biggest problem of traffic jams. Based on the survey report, the proposed plan will cost about five thousand crores. After presentation to the Secretary of Union Urban Development Ministry, it will be sent to the government. Secretary's visit to Varanasi in August is proposed. In the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is complete focus on the release of Varanasi from the traffic jams. In order to redress the issue, the RITES has proposed for the light metro, ropeway, waterways and road transport under the public transport platform plan for Varanasi. According to the reports, the city's traffic will be divided into four parts. In it, it is proposed to run a light metro rail for 13 km from BHEL on Babatpur road to Lanka. It will connect BHEL to Lanka via Ardali Bazar, Nadesar, Maldahiya, Sigra, Bhelupur and will have 13 stations. In the plans of the RITES, the old town i.e. the Panch Mahal areas have also been added. Under this, the old city will be interconnected with a 16-km long ropeway. Similarly, electric buses will be operated on the wide streets of the city and Ferries service will be started from the Pashchim Ghats to eighty waterways. On the lines of the proposed inter-model station at Kashi railway station, four stations will be interconnected in new traffic arrangements. Varanasi divisional commissioner Deepak Agarwal told that the RITES presented the plan. RITES is expected that the Public Transport Platform plan will be funded by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. The cost of the project is estimated to Rs. 5,000 crore. After some further improvement, the plan will be presented to the secretary of the Urban Development Ministry coming to Varanasi next month. After this, the Detail Project Report (DPR) will be sent to the Central Government for approval. In the proposal of RITES, the priority has been given to construct a Transport Hub at the Khirkiya ghat near the Rajghat bridge under the Comprehensive Mobility Plan. The proposed Transport Hub is connected to Varanasi-Chandauli GT Road, Outer Ring Road Phase-3 and the main road to the city which is being developed as main centre for ferry services  under Haldia Ganga Water Transportation. Kashi railway station is located at a distance. The route of Rajghat has also been fixed to start the Ropeway service. In the country, Varanasi will be the first city in the country which have its own  transport hub, where the introduction of the Ropeway as the public transport will be started.