By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter www.gulf-times.com
A metro train can move around 60,000 people per hour in one direction which is equivalent to the traffic on 30 lanes in a road network or the number of passengers carried by some 30,000 cars, an expert in the field said yesterday.
Qatar which is now in the process of building a massive rail network, including a metro, stands to gain much if the service is used properly by the public, he opined.
Speaking exclusively to Gulf Times, Jitendra Tyagi, director of works, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, (DMRC), India, said metro rail is safer, cheaper, faster and environment-friendly when compared to road transport in cities.
Tyagi was in town to speak at a technical seminar organised by ANECX Qatar, an Indian expatriate organisation.
According to him, Doha metro can help in easing the traffic congestion experienced in most parts of the city during peak hours and lead to development of areas far away from the city.
Tyagi said: “A metro has great environment benefits and can bring down pollution levels in a big way as the engines work on electricity. A metro train can carry around 60,000 people per hour in one direction which in effect will take away thousands of cars and other passenger transport vehicles from the roads, thus cutting down environmental pollution and traffic congestion.”
The official said that there were two reasons for constructing a metro rail. “One is when the road traffic becomes unmanageable; the other is when the project has been included in the development plan of a city which is called transit oriented development.” More info
