Arun Kumar Das
Bhubaneswar, Oct 24 (NVI):Metro Rail network has been expanded from 248 km in 2014 to more than 1185 km across 26 cities in the country, the Central government has said, highlighting the substantial growth in the modern urban transportation network.
Construction is underway on an additional 998 km of Metro Rail network, said Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu here while inaugurating the 19th Urban Mobility Conference.
“Progress in urban mobility should be measured by how safely, comfortably and independently citizens, including women, children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities, are able to move in cities,” he said.
Sahu said the expansion of metro networks, along with initiatives such as the National Common Mobility Card, QR-based ticketing and PM e-Bus Sewa, is transforming urban mobility and making public transport more accessible and sustainable.
The Conference is being organised under the theme ‘Urban Accessibility and Liveability in the Digital Age’. It focuses on improving urban accessibility, integrated transport infrastructure and quality of urban life through emerging digital technologies.
The deliberations cover sustainable and low-carbon public transport, seamless multimodal integration, first- and last-mile connectivity, reduction in traffic congestion and emissions, and the role of digital technologies in making cities more accessible, inclusive and liveable.
The Urban Mobility India Conference is an annual initiative of MoHUA under the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), 2006. The policy emphasises capacity building at the State and city levels and the development of equitable and sustainable urban transport systems. The Conference provides a platform for sharing national and international best practices, emerging technologies and innovative solutions in urban mobility.
Sahu also appreciated the efforts of the Government of Odisha, saying the State’s Ama Bus services as an example of modern, technology-enabled public transport.
He stated that efficient and inclusive urban mobility will play a crucial role in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Senior officials from Central and State Governments, national and international experts, policymakers, representatives of Metro Rail Companies, transport undertakings, industry professionals and academicians also participated in the Conference. (NVI)
