The Hindu Business Line : Urban transport policy to promote public transport

THE Centre today presented the draft of the National Urban Transport Policy to States and Union Territories with an aim to promote public transport system and accord priority to cleaner technologies.

Inaugurating the Conference of Chief Ministers on National Urban Transport Policy, the Minister for Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, said the Government would promote investments in public transport infrastructure and give incentives for measures that make public transport more attractive than personal motor vehicles.

"We will encourage each city with a population of more than 40 lakh to start planning for a mass transit system, adopting a technology that would best suit the city requirements in a 30-year time-frame," he said. Options for this include buses on dedicated corridors, elevated sky bus and monorail system, electric trolley buses and underground metro systems.

The Minister said even cities with a population of 10 lakh and above could be considered for such systems. The Government will encourage use of non-motorised systems such as bicycles and walking by building separate tracks and pedestrian paths. This will be given priority under the National Urban Renewal Mission that seeks to provide Rs 50,000 crore to States in the next five years.

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