Sreedharan shows how Metro is head and shoulders above competitors

New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) At a time when many 'experts' are indicating that metro rail may not be the best mode of public transport for million-plus cities in the country, DMRC MD E Sreedharan stoutly enumerated the points metro scores over other forms of public mobility.

Metro could achieve carrying capacities as high as 60,000 to 90,000 peak hour peak direction traffic (phpdt), which was more than what any other public transport could achieve, he said speaking at the on-going conference on 'Alternative Technologies for Public Transport' here.

''It carries same amount of traffic as nine lanes of bus traffic or 33 lanes of private motor cars (either way).'' Metro rail required 1/5th energy per passenger per kilometre compared to road-based system, he said.

It caused no air pollution in the city as also caused lesser noise level compared to most other mode of public transport, the 'Metro Man' said.

''Metro rail occupies no road space if underground and only about two metre width of the road if elevated.'' It was also more reliable, comfortable and safer than road-based system, he said.

And last but not the least it reduced journey time by anything between 50 per cent and 75 per cent depending on road conditions, he added.

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