CTTP for Mangalore may take three more months

The agency concerned is yet to submit its preliminary report

In fact, the plan should have been ready by this month itself; but the agency that has got the assignment has not yet submitted its preliminary report.

ICRA Management Consulting Services (IMaCS) Limited, a Mumbai-based private firm had been assigned the job of preparing the CTTP for the City. The first meeting in this regard had been held on October 23 last year, which had been chaired by the then Secretary to the Transport Department Gaurav Gupta.

The agency had been asked to produce its report in a duration of eight months, that is, by June 2009. Sources said though the representatives of the IMaCS had met the Deputy Commissioner a few days ago, “they were not in a position to make a presentation to the DC”.

Speaking to Deccan Herald on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner V Ponnuraj said it would take at least three months to get the final report, since the district administration is yet to receive the primary report. “The process might have got delayed due to the elections. We will be getting the first report in another couple of weeks,” he said.

“There are a number of stakeholders connected to the issue, and the agency need to consult each of them in detail. Since most of the departments were busy in the parliamentary elections, they could not be consulted as per the schedule,” he noted.

Government’s initiative

CTTP is a State government’s initiative, being prepared under the supervision of the Directorate of Urban Land Transport coming under the Urban Development Department. As per the initiative, a comprehensive traffic and transport plan need to be prepared for all the urban centres administered by city corporations, namely, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Bellary and Mangalore.

In fact, there are different stakeholders for this CTTP, such as the Railways, the City Corporation, the Urban Development Authority, KSTRC, Public Works Department and the NGOs. The main objective of the project is “to prepare a transportation network and comprehensive mobility plan for all sections, including pedestrians and to achieve convenient and cost-effective accessibility at speed and better comfort”.

The specified agency is supposed to study the land use pattern, projected growth of the city and its population in the next 25 years. According to the government, it will help strategising the transport policy as an integrated part of the urban planning.

It is said once the CTTP is ready, it would be helpful in implementing various transport and traffic plans for Mangalore, including the proposed metro, overbridge or underpass, more number of buses, shifting of bus stand, etc.

KSRTC buses in City

The proposal to introduce KSRTC buses in Mangalore has not shown any improvement so far. Though the issue was a subject of hot discussion among the public following an announcement by the Transport Minister R Ashok, it has not got the government’s approval till date.

KSRTC Senior Divisional Controller P B Karumbaiah told Deccan Herald that they have already completed a survey on their part and even applied for 34 new permits.
“The Cabinet is yet to give its nod. It was supposed to be discussed in a recent meeting,” he said. 

Volvo buses

Though the district in-charge minister had recently indicated that volvo buses would be introduced on Puttur route, the officials are of the view that the proposal is not viable. “Volvo buses are for comfort and quick journey. How fast a volvo bus can ply between Mangalore and Puttur?” asked a senior official in the KSRTC.

The KSRTC had introduced a volvo bus between Mangalore and Dharmasthala two years back bus cancelled later due to poor response. Now, the bus has been diverted on Mangalore-Moodabidre-Mumbai route.