Chennai monorail controversy

Some of you may be interested to know that Chennai (formerly Madras) in India is in the midst of a heated controversy over public transport. 

The Tamil Nadu state government decision to opt for a huge monorail network is the issue.
See http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=chennai+monorail&btnG=Search+News for the latest.

Both 'Metro' supporters and BRT supporters seem to be weighing in (with the heavy rail supporters louder and more influential it seems).

http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/03/stories/2006020315440700.htm (Monorail plan ill-advised: Sreedharan)
"The Tamil Nadu Government's decision to go for monorail for Chennai city to meet its growing traffic needs is most `unfortunate' as it will not help meet the transport requirement of city commuters," says Delhi Metro Rail Corporation managing director E. Sreedharan.

Already the State had burnt its fingers with the "ill-advised" mass rapid transit system (MRTS) and the monorail would be its another "ill-advised venture," he said in a letter to the State Government.

The State, which had asked the DMRC to submit a comprehensive report for a rail based metro system for Chennai, dashed off a letter to the Corporation recently asking it to stop all its investigations and surveys.

Expressing surprise over the decision, Mr. Sreedharan suspected that the State had been "influenced by monorail lobby with its tall claims and false promises." The lobby, the letter noted, had already stalled the metro project in Bangalore. …

or  http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/29/stories/2006012901640500.htm (Divergent views emerge on utility of monorail project)

Any comments?

Paul

Paul A. Barter  |  Assistant Professor  |  LKY School of Public Policy  |  National University of Singapore  |  29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace  |  Singapore 119620  |  Tel: ᄍ-6516 3324  |  Fax: ᄍ-6778 1020  |  Email:  paulbarter@...  |  http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/faculty/paulbarter/ 

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