PMC unveils Rs 19k cr plan to revamp public transport

The PMC administration has released a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) worth Rs 19,000 crore prepared by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), which it wants to implement in three phases.

The CMP talks of investments in bus rapid transit system, metro railway, monorail, a 300-foot wide ring road and also improved connectivity to airport.

The PMC will plan for a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to raise funds to execute this CMP, which is expected to revamp the civil infrastructure of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and surrounding industrial belts like Hinjewadi, Chakan, Talegaon and Ranjangaon.

The CMP has put forward to the standing committee, which is expected to take a final call over this project in few days. Pune's public transport and pot-holed roads have faced severe criticism from almost every strata of the society.

While the industrial growth in and around the town has been excellent, the city has merely done anything to improve its infrastructure. PMC had last year appointed IL&FS to prepare a mobility plan to revamp the entire transportation scenario.

Apart from metrol rail and bus rapid transit (BRT), the plan also suggests to organise water transport through three rivers that flow across the city.

The first phase of this plan would be launched this year itself with projects worth Rs 5,910 crore to be executed. This includes purchase of new buses for BRT, water transport infrastructure, pedestrian subways, walking plazas, bridges and flyovers.

The second phase is expected to be launched in 2015 at an estimated cost of Rs 6,791 crore. The same would involve metro rail, underground metro rail, outer ring road, parking plazas and airport connectivity. The third phase would start in year 2020. It will have a monorail project worth Rs 6,600 crore.

"The report is focused on moving people safely across the city at cheap rates. If implemented, Pune will will have the best transportation infrastructure in the country," the report states.