KOZHIKODE: The exit of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation from the light metro projects in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram has not come as a surprise to many here who had pointed out that the project will not be viable in the city. The roads could be modernised and flyovers constructed at a much less cost, they had pointed out. The UDF government first announced the monorail project for the city with DMRC as implementing agency in 2011 and it was scheduled to be completed by 2015. But the high cost forced the government as well as the DMRC to back out.
The Bombardier company which makes mono rail coaches had quoted over Rs 9,000 crore for both the projects. It may be recalled that many countries had been abandoning mono rail projects and demolishing existing systems due to the high maintenance and operational costs. The Sydney government had demolished mono rails in 2012 and Indonesia and Malaysia abandoned the projects midway. DMRC principal advisor E. Sreedharan had earlier said that mono rail may not be a viable project but that it would be a landmark for the city. In 2014, he said that rather than mono rail, light metro would be ideal and that it could be completed by 2020.
Mr K. Shaju of Green Hope Society, an NGO based here, told DC that Mr Sreedharan himself was not sure whether mono rail or light metro would be good for the city. "On what ground we can assign a project with such a huge investment to a person like him," he asked. "The roads are not wide and at many stretches they are curvy, making the implementation of LM difficult," he added. The road developmental works between Meenchantha and Medical College (14.2 kilometres) in Kozhikode have been hanging fire for the last many years due to the delay in the rail project.
However, the UDF is on with a campaign against the treatment meted out to Mr Sreedharan by the LDF government. Mr A. Pradeep Kumar MLA said that the government was not against the project. "But we have many other projects on the anvil which could make public transport easier. They include flyovers at Eranjippalam, Thondayad and Malapparamaba, which will cost only around Rs 100 crore whereas the LM will cost more than Rs 2,000 crore. The second phase of Kozhikode City Development Project (KRIP) will create new roads which also would add to the infrastructure," he said.
