Smartphones may replace Metro cards
June 18, 2013
Subhendu Ray, Hindustan Times New Delhi, June 16, 2013
Travelling across the city in Delhi Metro is likely to get more comfortable if you are a smartphone user. You may not even need to carry a Metro smartcard or buy a token because your phone will have everything you need.The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is exploring the possibility of introducing a new system termed near-field communication (NFC), which has the ability to make smartphones act as Metro smartcards. The NFC device in your phone will act as the electronic identity document and keycard.
“We hope to put the system in place soon and reduce the use of physical smartcards within two years before our network expansion under phase 3 is completed. NFC devices are currently at a trial stage,” said a senior engineer of the signalling department of DMRC.
The projected average daily metro ridership in 2016 is projected at nearly 40 lakh once phase 3 expansion is over. DMRC is eyeing at a 30 per cent reduction in manual smartphone transactions through this system.
Many new Samsung smartphones, Nokia Lumia phones, Sony’s Xperia range, HTC’s high-end phones and LG’s Optimus range support NFC. Many other smartphone makers too are reportedly keen on introducing the system.
“An antenna chip will be inserted in the smartphone, which will function as a smartcard. The commuter will have to bring the phone close to the automatic fare collection (AFC) gate to gain entry,” said Anuj Dayal, chief spokesperson of DMRC. The device will establish radio communication with the AFC gate when touched or in close proximity to the phone.
“The new generation phones will let you recharge the chip. The amount of recharge will be reflected in your monthly phone bills “, he added.
The NFC devices are also being tried as alternative to smartcards in Dubai and Singapore metros, he said.
Record no. of curves in ph-3 metro corridor
June 18, 2013
htreporters, Hindustan Times New Delhi,
The Hazrat Nizamuddin-Shiv Vihar standard gauge corridor of the Delhi Metro, which is part of Phase III, will have a record number of sharp curves.”There are uneven twists and turns in this 25-km elevated corridor. So we have been forced to construct 14 curves on this stretch, which passes through highly congested areas of east Delhi such as Trilokpuri, Anand Vihar, Karkardooma, Welcome and Seelampur,” said a Delhi Metro spokesperson.
Curves with a radius between 200 and 300 meters are considered ‘sharp’ in urban rail construction. “The work on building sharp curves requires a great deal of engineering skills and several factors have to be kept in mind while designing special segments/spans at the turn concerned,” the spokesperson added.
The Hazrat Nizamuddin-Shiv Vihar corridor is a part of the 59-km-long Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar corridor.
Soon, rent a cycle at Gurgaon Metro stations
June 18, 2013
Deevakar Anand, Hindustan Times Gurgaon,
In an environment-friendly move, bicycles would soon be available on rent at the Huda City Centre Metro station.
A senior official of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), which has planned 30 cycle shelters across Gurgaon, said that the service at the Huda Metro station will start first in a fortnight.
Initially, the service will be launched at the five Metro stations — Huda City Centre, Iffco Chowk, MG Road, Sikanderpur and Guru Dronacharya.
“A commuter can hire cycles at these shelters against fixed charges and on submission of an identity proof. While the first two hours will cost R10, the subsequent hours will cost R5 extra for each hour. The user will have to submit the original copy of an ID proof, preferably government documents. The service will be available from 9am to 8pm, but one can keep the cycle overnight at an extra charge of R100,” said Sudhir Haryal, promoter of Planet Advertising, the firm that will run the cycle shelters.
While such services are very popular near Metro stations in Delhi and have huge takers among students of Delhi University’s north campus, Gurgaon residents have long been demanding such non-motorised transport infrastructure in the city.
Police to install CCTVs at four key intersections
June 18, 2013
Leena Dhankhar, Hindustan Times New Delhi,
To enhance surveillance, Gurgaon police have decided to install CCTV cameras at four major intersections of the Millennium City in 15 days. The move came after the recent spate of robberies at these junctions. The four crossings to come under round-the-clock surveillance are Iffco Chowk, MG Road Metro Station, Huda City Metro Station and Iffco Chowk Metro Station. Iffco Chowk will be the first location where cameras will be installed.
The joint commissioner of police directed ACP Bhupinder Singh to initiate the work on the project. After the cameras are installed, police will be able to check suspicious activities.
Joint commissioner of police Maheshwar Dayal told HT: “The initiative will ensure safety and security of commuters. The cameras would record all incidents of robbery, theft, molestation and traffic violation. The control room of the CCTV cameras would be in my office.”
According to police, two traffic officials have been given the task of monitoring the CCTV feeds.
The ACP said, “We do not have exclusive cameras to keep a tab on the movement of suspicious elements. This initiative will help us identify, chase and nab the accused.”
Although gangs like ‘maxi-cab’ gang that killed about 30 people are active in Gurgaon, police have not taken any effective steps to curb such incidents. A Mewati gang also operate in the city at night.After the cameras are installed at Iffco Chowk, Gurgaon police will focus on the other three intersections. These intersections have become a potential security hazard to the commuters.
Source-http://www.hindustantimes.com
New Metro stations to allow pedestrians to cross busy roads
June 18, 2013
htreporters, Hindustan Times
To ensure pedestrians have more facilities to cross busy arterial roads, the public works department (PWD) has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to provide passage to pedestrians through the unpaid area in all stations in phase 3 and phase 4 expansions.
PWD officials said they had written to DMRC earlier this month and held a meeting with its officials. “The number of vehicles is growing at a steady pace and it gets difficult for pedestrians to cross the busy streets. Instead of constructing subways or pedestrian bridges every couple of kilometres, it is better if a passage is provided to them through Metro stations,” said a senior PWD official.
The PWD official said they had asked the Delhi Metro to make such a provision at its upcoming stations along Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. Delhi Metro will construct about 230km Metro network in the next few years. Two of its longest lines being constructed under phase 3 — Mukundpur to Yamuna Vihar and Janakpuri to Botanical garden (Noida) — are coming up along Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, respectively. Delhi Metro officials said they were making conscious efforts to provide smooth passage to pedestrians through its stations wherever possible. “The stations built in phase 1 do not have this facility but all stations, whether elevated or underground, built in phase 2 provide passage to pedestrians,” a DMRC spokesperson said.
While stations between Rajiv Chowk and Dwarka do not allow pedestrians to use the Metro stations to cross busy Patel Road or Najafgarh Road, all stations in Noida and Gurgaon can be used to cross the roads. “In phase 3 and phase 4 also, we will make provisions for pedestrians to cross through the unpaid area,” the spokesperson said.
Pune mulls Mumbai model to speed up metro project
June 17, 2013
Radheshyam Jadhav, TNN |
The Maharashtra government and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are mulling over Mumbai metro model of Public Private Partnership (PPP) involving central funds to expedite the Pune metro project.
The recent meeting of the state urban development department (UDD) with PMC officials concluded that the Union government’s PPP model would help the Pune metro project raise the required funds.
A PMC official said that urban transport is inter-twined with urban development and is under the purview of the state government. The concerned state and the city implementing urban transport project need to work on financial model and hence the state government is tapping options for Pune metro funding. The PPP model involving central funding has been adopted for the Hyderabad metro project (71.16 km) and Mumbai metro line 1 with length of 11.40 km and line 2 with length of 31.871 km. According to the state and PMC officials this model would help to avoid any further delay to start the project.
In June last year, the state cabinet gave its assent to the much-awaited Pune metro rail project, approving the 14.925-km elevated route from Vanaz to Ramwadi. The cabinet also decided to form the Pune Metro Rail Corporation (PMRC) for implementing the project, which is planned to be completed within the next four years. The cabinet nod for the metro project had come close on the heels of the union urban development ministry’s decision to consider metros in cities with a population of more than 20 lakh.
The overarching model for Pune metro will be Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) proposed model, where 10% of the project cost will be contributed by the PMC while the state and Centre will contribute 20% each.
The remaining 50% will be raised by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) using various options like build-operate-transfer (BOT) and public private partnership (PPP).
The PPP model opted by Hyderabad and Mumbai has helped these cities get substantial Union government funding along with the PPP investment, said the state officials in the meeting. The PMC has been asked to work on a proposal to be submitted to the Union government.
The Metro Story
THE START
In 2006, Union minister Sharad Pawar told the PMC and the PCMC to submit a plan for a metro. DMRC’s expertise was sought and the corporation recommended its model.
COST FACTOR
The corporation suggested setting up of a Pune Metro Rail Corporation to oversee all options. Completion target set for 2014-15 at a cost of Rs 8,401 crore for the first corridor from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate and Rs 9,534 crore for second corridor from Vanaz to Ramwadi.
MONEY MATTERS
10% of the total project cost to be contributed by the PMC while the state and Centre to give 20% each. The remaining 50% will be raised by the special purpose vehicle (SPV) using options like Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
10 Metro stations will get space to walk, park
June 5, 2013
TNN |
NEW DELHI: With accessibility to Metro stations becoming a problem due to poor infrastructure outside the stations, Delhi Traffic Police, public works department and Delhi Metro have identified 10 Metro stations which need retrofitting. This will include segregated pedestrian walkways, auto routes, parking points .
Sources said the Metro stations include Central Secretariat, Malviya Nagar, Karol Bagh and GTB Nagar. Different civic agencies will be involved in it. “The main problem is that of accessibility.. Different road users need to have streamlined lanes,” said a source.
Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Metro system to gel with Chandigarh’s aesthetics
May 29, 2013
Vibhor Mohan, TNN |
CHANDIGARH: The elevated corridor of the Metro Rail will have elaborate landscaping to check encroachments around the structures and architectural controls to ensure that it gels with the overall look of the city. The Metro system will be underground in the core area of Chandigarh and will run on the surface when the two corridors run into Panchkula and Mohali.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Noida to form its own Metro rail company
May 28, 2013
- Hindustan Times (Delhi) / Vinod Rajput [email protected]
Noida, G.noida authorities approve proposal, allocate crore
The first project of the new company will be a 29-km link proposed between Noida City Center and Greater Noida’s Bodaki.
Following in the footsteps of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Uttar Pradesh’s two industrial developmental authorities — Noida and Greater Noida — on Monday approved a proposal of forming its own metro rail construction company to construct 29-kmlong link between Noida City Centre and Greater Noida’s Bodaki. The company, named as Noida Metro Rail Company (NMRC), will provide a fast link between two townships.
BURHAAN KINUThe two authorities have allocated R1,000 crore initial corpus fund to set up the company, which will be engaged in constructing metro rail network across UP.
“The first project of NMRC will be the 29-km-long proposed metro link project between Noida and Greater Noida. It will then take up all future metro extension projects in the state. However, old approved metro projects such as 3.9-kmlong link from Kalindi Kunj to Botanical Garden and 6-km link from City Centre to Sector 62 towards NH-24 will be completed by the DMRC as planned earlier,” said Rama Raman, chairman of three authorities — Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway.
“The board has approved NMRC, now it will get UP government’s official nod very soon. Then UP registrar will register the name. NMRC will start functioning in a few months,” said Rama Raman in the Hindustan Times Real Estate Conclave 2013 at Noida on Monday.
Of the 29-km stretch, 19 kilometre will fall in Noida jurisdiction, and the remaining 10 kilometre stretch will fall in the Greater Noida region.
“DMRC will work as a consultant for future projects. But construction work will be carried out by NMRC only,” said Rama Raman.
Officials said after Bangalore, Kochi, Jaipur and Chandigarh, Noida will be the fifth city to boast its own metro rail company.
“It is being done to take load off DMRC, which is burdened with too much work. And unlike corporation, it will be a company,” said another authority official.
The authority has also written to the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), seeking funds as this link will connect Bodaki with Noida. Bodaki is the first industrial town, which is being developed by DMIC. “We are hopeful of getting funds from the DMIC. We will invite tenders in the next 6 months,” said an authority official.
http://paper.hindustantimes.com
Go-ahead likely for Metro link with Greater Noida
May 28, 2013
- Hindustan Times (Delhi) HT Correspondent
In an earlier board meeting held on January 11, both the authorities had given in-principal approval to the proposed route between Noida’s Sector 32 (City Center) and Bodaki in Greater Noida.
In 2011, the previous state government had approved a similar project but nothing happened on the ground. However, it helped many private builders in selling flats to homebuyers.
Apart from the Metro line, other important projects which are likely to get board approvals include a convention center on 25 acres of land and a medical university.
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