CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): More than 10,000 commuters use Chennai Airport Metro Rail station every day, with many air passengers taking the Metro to get to the airport and hundreds from southern areas such as Pallavaram, Chromepet, Chitlapakkam, Tambaram and other nearby places using the Metro to travel around the city.
V. Santhanam, a Chromepet resident, expressed that the population is looking forward to the Chennai Metro Rail’s project to extend the line from the Airport to Kilambakkam, as it will reduce commute times for numerous people.
He remarked that when governments announce such projects, it brings about high expectations among commuters and that the proposed extension would improve mobility and profoundly impact the lives of thousands of commuters.
Dayanand Krishnan, a resident of Chitlapakkam, stated that many rely on Metro Rail for their daily commute to areas such as Anna Nagar, Anna Salai, and Koyambedu. He went on to express his opinion that “Though there is a feeder bus from Chennai airport, the services are not adequate and the longer the government takes to act, the cost of the project will continue to increase. Therefore, it is vital for the authorities to hold inter-departmental meetings frequently, address any issues, and then take the necessary steps for financing and construction.”
An official from Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) reported that the detailed project report on the section had been sent to the government. The official further noted that “The project is actively being reviewed by the State government. The proposal has been presented to the 24th High Power Committee for approval and has been recommended for the approval of the Government of Tamil Nadu.”
K.P. Subramaniam, a former professor of Urban Engineering at Anna University, commented on the fact that while projects of this scale take into consideration execution time, it is essential to reduce any system-related delays and to expedite it as quickly as possible.
Shreya Gadepalli, an urban transport expert and founder of Urban Works Institute, stressed that priority must be given to special projects if they are to be carried out on time, particularly the Kilambakkam Bus Terminus as it is essential for providing commuters with easy access.
She further stated that until Metro Rail is completed, the people require a swift solution, and the government should thus invest significantly in the fleet of MTC buses. She noted that buses, once the source of pride in Chennai, have become unreliable and unpopular.
Despite the immense amount of money put into Metro Rail, buses have not received any support for the past decade. Gadepalli stated that an Airport-Kilambakkam extension would be enough to double the number of buses in Chennai and make them all-electric or AC with dedicated lanes so that they could quickly transport people to their destinations.
