Metro Budget 2021: The Union Finance Minister today presented the general budget for the next financial year 2021-22 on 1 February. In this budget, he talked about promoting public transport in urban areas. The Finance Minister said that the government is constantly trying to promote public transport. Metro rail network and city bus services are being increased.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that metro services will be provided as public transport through the new technology of MetroLite and MetroNeo in Tier 1 connected areas and Tier 2 cities. The special thing about both these technologies is that it gives the same experience of traveling in the metro at low cost. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune are Tier 1 cities while Lucknow, Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Nagpur etc. are Tier 2 cities.
Features of MetroLite and MetroNio
The cost of Light and Neo-Metro is less as compared to the common metro. The stations for these are small, like a bus stand. However, the ability to carry passengers is less. These two have only 3 coaches and a dedicated corridor will be prepared to run them. Their maintenance costs are also less.
However, talk about these two, Neo Metro is more saving. It is a metro running on tires and can be considered as a mixed form of tram, metro and bus. This can be considered as a bus powered by electricity in which passengers can travel like the metro. Last year, in November 2020, the tenders of 29 metro lights were canceled and the preparation for the tender for metronos is over. According to the Union Urban Ministry, the cost of Neo Metro is 40 percent less than that of the normal metro.
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Center will fund for these metro projects
The Finance Minister informed that 702 km of the conventional metro is operational at this time. Apart from this, there are 1016 km metro and RRTs under construction in 27 cities. According to the budget, the central government will give its share of funds for these four metro projects.
- 1957.05 crore for Phase-2 Kochi Metro Railway of 11.5 km.
- 63246 crores for 118.9 km Chennai Metro Railway Phase-2.
- 14788 crores for 58.19 km Bangalore Metro railway project Phase 2A and Phase 2B.
- Rs 5976 crore for Nagpur Metro Rail Project Phase-2 and Rs 2092 crore for Nashik Metro.