India could have had more metro rail networks if people followed traffic rules. This is because metro networks cost less if they are built at the same level as roads, quite like trams. But, given the Indian road users’ scant regard for traffic rules, it is unsafe to build rail tracks on the road, say experts.

RITES, which has been the technical consultant of several metro projects in India, is also helping the rollout of a metro project in Mauritius, which will cost much less than what it would have in India.

“We can have metro rail systems at one third the cost, if we were to build the networks at grade (at the same level as roads) where ‘at-grade’ traffic is manageable, instead of building metros in tunnels or over pillars,” Arbind Kumar, former Director, RITES, told BusinessLine.

On the Mauritius metro rail project, another official involved in the project elaborated: “It is a 32-km light metro rail project. Coaches will be lighter than that of Delhi Metro. It is largely on grade, with some portions elevated. This model can also be used in several cities in India where full scale metro will not be viable.”

Tunnels and pillars

Usually, a large chunk of the cost involved in building a metro track goes towards building a tunnel, followed by making pillars. In fact, several metro rail systems in India have avoided building tunnels and have opted for building tracks on pillars to lower costs. Building rail-based transport system is unthinkable for policy makers given the safety cost involved. India witnessed 4.64-lakh road accidents in 2017, which killed 1.47 lakh people and injured 4.7 lakh.

Similarly, unmanned level crossings are another top reason for deaths in the Indian Railway system, especially Mumbai. Unmanned level crossings are basically rail tracks built at the same level as roads, but do not have a “phatak” or a gate to prevent people from crossing the road when a train is approaching.

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Ideal for small cities

People following traffic rules is an important requirement to have such cheaper metro trains, which are air-conditioned, faster, cleaner, comfortable, contribute less to pollution and can be a cheaper mode of transport than private vehicles.

“Having more law-abiding citizens would help us plan and implement such networks at much cheaper price in less congested tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Gorakhpur. People in Mauritius adhere to traffic rules scrupulously and are disciplined. Indians, at large, do not adhere to traffic rules, unlike in the US, Singapore or Malaysia,” he said. However, Kumar feels one cannot entirely blame the people here, given the huge population and crowding.

Lane discipline also matters. “In several countries like Malaysia, police ensure people follow lane discipline. So, if lane discipline is strictly followed in places like Agra, Gorakhpur and other upcoming cities, such cheaper light rail transport can be implemented,” felt Kumar.