News: GMDA releases final mobility management plan for Gurugram-25-12-2020
The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority earlier this week published the final Comprehensive Mobility Management Plan (CMMP) for the city — a year behind deadline — after a draft version of the same received the chief minister’s approval during the GMDA’s authority meeting two weeks ago. The CMMP, which is based on traffic and transport surveys conducted by the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in New Delhi, proposes long and short term interventions to improve mobility in Gurugram between the years 2021 and 2041.
These interventions will be rolled out in four phases, with Phase 1 lasting until 2026, Phase 2 until 2031, and Phases 3 and 4 to be completed by 2041. The CMMP has 10 broad sections addressing the mobility concerns like regional connectivity enhancement, non-motorised transportation, public transport (or mass transit), intermediate public transport (such as autos and cabs), road network improvement, parking, freight management, road safety, travel demand management, and traffic signal management.
Noting that nearly 66 percent of all traffic in Gurugram is Delhi-bound passenger traffic, the CMMP emphasizes the need to “develope strong regional linkages by mass transit system to enhance the regional connectivity for passenger movement” in and around Delhi-NCR. Solution for this have been presented in the form of the upcoming orbital rail corridor (from Kundli to Palwal), which has a proposed halt in Manesar, as well as the upcoming RRTS system from Delhi to Alwar, which will pass through Gurugram.
The plan also mentions the need to enhance road connectivity in the region. “From the regional road network connectivity point of view, major traffic from Delhi and beyond is still dependent on NH-48 and MG road as there are no other connections developed. There is a need to develop the links between Delhi and Gurugram as the traffic share is also very high,” states the CMMP, which is available on the GMDA’s website.
As such, new links like Dwarka expressway link between Delhi and the NPR road in Gurugram, a link road between Sectors 115/114 and Sectors 108/106, a link between NH48 to Old Delhi Gurugram road, between NPR to Sector 114, between Nelson Mandela road in Delhi and MG road in Gurugram has been proposed. Apart from this an outer ring road is to be developed along the GSPR, to enhance connectivity with Faridabad.
Regarding the link between NH-48 (near Ambience Mall) and Mehrauli-Gurugram Road, it has been noted, “The resident advisory council of GMDA and some other citizen groups have expressed a concern about the environmental impact of this link as it may pass through or about the Biodiversity Park. It is recommended that at the detailed project report stage, the environmental impact assessment be taken up in detail and necessary mitigation measures be adopted for the proposed road link.”
Yet another significant proposal is the creation of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) for Gururgam. “There are too many organisation involved in transport operations in the city. Everyone from the GMDA to Haryana Roadways to Delhi Metro to the MCG is involved in some capacity. There is a need to make them seamless, which is why this step has been proposed,” explained an official in the GMDA’s mobility division.
“It can be observed that owing to different organizations being responsible for taking up various transport systems related activities in Gurugram its co-ordination becomes exceedingly difficult thereby devoid the citizens the benefit of an integrated transport system development. Hence there is need of an umbrella organization like UMTA to take up this responsibility of urban transport sector development,” states the CMMP.
VS Kundu, CEO, GMDA, could not be contacted for a comment on Friday.
However, the GMDA official quoted above said, “The UMTA will come under the GMDA’s purview, with the CEO acting as chairman. A separate Mobility Planning and Management Unit will also be constituted as the technical arm of the unifying authority.”
