'Transit-oriented urban development needed'

A good public transport system plays a key role in transit-development said Executive Director Sushil Verma, Transit Design, New Delhi.

He delivered a talk on “International and Indian Experience in Transit-oriented Development- a Designer’s Perspective” --a national seminar on transit-oriented development organised by DK administration and DK Nirmithi Kendra.

Integrated hub

“Without an integrated transport hub, metro stations are of no use in the country. Unorganised development took place in Delhi due to metro stations,” he observed.

“The unchecked and unregulated mushrooming of cheap-rent housing in urban villages (within one to two km of metro stations) in Delhi has not benefited the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) or Delhi Development Authority (DDA),” he noted.

“The Delhi Metro only boosted the property market in Rohini, Dwaraka, Ghaziabad and Noida areas without actually benefiting the stakeholders. Development must benefit stakeholders,” he felt.

Transit-Devpt correlated

Verma said that transit and development were correlated. The scale of investment involved in the development of modern urban transport system, particularly a rail-based system has necessitated discussion on transit-oriented development.

“Transit-oriented development should provide seamless connectivity. In Singapore, development is around metro stations which provide extensive connections to adjoining properties. The retail kiosk within the stations should be saleable,” he noted.

20-yr plan

MUDA Commissioner Srikanth Rao said: “We have to plan development of Mangaluru City keeping in mind the next 20 years. We need to have a traffic control mechanism to avoid jams,” he noted.

“Though the ring road concept was visualised two decades ago for Mangaluru, it has not materialised so far. The Mangala Corniche ring road in Mangaluru has not materialised. Easing traffic will make the city smart in its correct sense,” he observed.

MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said suggestions from experts attending the seminar would help in the development of Mangaluru city.

Advisor to Shree Devi Institute of Technology Prof G R Rai said the increase in the number of vehicles in Mangaluru had resulted in traffic congestion.