India on Track: India is on track to secure the position of the world’s second-largest metro network, Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal announced during a Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Addressing the members of parliament, he highlighted urban mobility as a critical aspect of managing the burgeoning urban population and emphasized the government’s relentless efforts to strengthen the country’s urban transport infrastructure.
Milestones and Future Plans
Shri Manohar Lal informed that 993 kilometers of metro rail is currently operational across 23 cities, while 997 kilometers of metro network is under construction in 28 cities. These efforts underscore India\’s commitment to sustainable urban mobility.
Key projects and initiatives discussed included:
Metro Rail Policy 2017: Highlighting the operational networks in cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Patna, and Lucknow.
RRTS Projects: Updates on ongoing Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) projects and their funding frameworks.
Indigenization Drive: Initiatives to promote ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ technologies in urban transport systems.
PM-eBus Sewa Scheme: A push to augment city bus services with 10,000 e-buses under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, supporting infrastructure upgrades and bus depot development in cities with populations between 3 to 40 lakhs.
One Nation, One Card: A seamless travel solution launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, integrating metro, rail, and bus networks via the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
Parliamentary Discussions and Recommendations
The meeting, attended by MPs including Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Shri Dinesh Sharma, and Ms Kavita Patidar, featured extensive deliberations on enhancing last-mile connectivity, scaling up metro operations, and improving passenger amenities. Suggestions from members will be reviewed for actionable outcomes.
The Consultative Committee reiterated the government’s commitment to transforming urban transport, making it more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable to address the challenges of urbanization.
