Reportedly it was expected to radically transform the planning of public transport in chennai city. But nine years after the chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) Act received the tamilnadu Governor’s assent in 2011, the nodal body has yet to start functioning and remains only on paper. Furthermore chennai is known for its multiple modes of public transport systems spanning the length and breadth of the city. From the suburban train system, which started operating in the city almost a century ago to the swanky new metro rail, Chennai’s public transport system is considered one of the best in the country. 

 

Yet all these public transport modes run in isolation and not in tandem with each other, putting commuters in a difficult position. CUMTA was aimed at addressing these issues and revamping the entire network by bringing all the operators under a single umbrella. When speaking to TNM about the authority, a senior official at the CMDA says that CUMTA was formed with good intentions to optimise the several transport systems in chennai and help agencies work towards the single aim of developing the city. 

 

He, however, observes that in many ways setting up CUMTA was not a voluntary move by the state government.  “It was also because of funding issues and the compulsion by the Union government”. The official also says that setting up CUMTA became inevitable when the conditions for funding by World bank also underwent changes. chennai is one of the best examples for a city that has seamless connectivity, says Sivasubramaniam Jayaraman, Manager, Transport Systems in Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

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