Nagpur, the second capital of the state of Maharashtra is also the third largest city in the state and 13th largest urban conglomeration in India with area of 217 Sq. Km while the Nagpur Metro Region has a population of around 35 lakhs and an area of around 3576 Sq. Km. The city boasts of being the geographical center of the nation along with being the ‘Orange City’ as well as the ‘Tiger Capital of India’ as it is a Gateway to several tiger reserves in Central India. MIHAN (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub at Nagpur) Project is all set to give a big boost to the economic development of the region in general and the city in particular by creating employment potential of atleast 2 lakh jobs.
With the growing economic activity, it is necessary to plan for the infrastructure development so as to support the growth of the city. One of the major impacts of economic development will be increased traffic on the city roads. Currently the Public Transportation System contributes only 10% of the total trips . The motorized transport is dominated by two wheelers (28%) and so is the vehicle ownership in the city (84% of all owned vehicles are two wheelers) , with following repercussions:
| Parameters |
Scenario |
| |
Existing |
With Metro |
| Traffic Congestion |
Bumper to Bumper Traffic visible on several roads in peak hours. |
Commuters will get diverted to Metro reducing the congestion on roads. |
| Pollution |
Air Quality of the city is going down.
Source: Air Quality - Ambient Air Quality Monitored at Nagpur |
Will improve as the no of vehicles on road will go down. |
| Road Accidents |
Notably high due to higher no of vehicles on road. |
Will drastically reduce as the congestion on road will reduce. |
| Convenience |
Not very convenient due to traffic jams, bad roads, traffic signals, etc. |
Very convenient as the mode is highly comfortable, reliable and timely. |
| Weather Extremities |
Do affect the driver of individual vehicles causing discomforts. |
Provides a comfortable and distraction-free movement. |
| Travel Time |
Is excessive due to traffic congestions and traffic signals. |
Will reduce the travel time by around 50%. |
| Cost |
Is high due to high fuel consumption & high fuel cost & more running time due to traffic congestion. |
Will be much less as compared to cost of running individual vehicles. |
| Energy Saving |
Uses Fossil fuels and has high energy consumption. |
Uses around only 1/5th of energy as compared to Road Transport |
Thus there is a need for a safe, reliable, efficient, affordable, commuter friendly and environmentally sustainable rapid public transport system for the Nagpur Metro Region.