PUNE: In a welcome move, Maha Metro has decided that the metro stations along the PCMC-Swargate and Vanaz-Ramwadi corridors of Pune metro will be designed in a unique way and bear a ‘Puneri’ touch with designs like ‘Puneri Pagdi’ or associating the stations with well-known heritage structures of Pune. This was announced at a press conference by Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, Maha Metro on Thursday at Maha Metro office on Ghole Road.
Dixit said some of the stations will have roofs like Puneri Pagdi and some will have design connecting them to heritage structures of Pune. He said the agency is using the multi-modal integration approach of linking public transport with the metro. “The ‘multi-modal integration’ approach will link metro stations with BRTS, PMPML bus depots, railway stations and airport. It will provide ease and comfort of travel to commuters. We are trying to achieve seamless travel experience for masses and in return increasing ridership in public transport which will be a win-win situation for both the transport systems and the masses,” added Dixit.
Dixit said that integration would be in a physical format like bridges and underpass, informative like providing electronic boards to share information about other transport facility and through common mobility card in which same cards can be used for all modes of transport. Dixit said that of the 44 hectares of land to be acquired for the project they have acquired 16 hectares and are in the process of acquiring the rest.
He said the agency is in process of getting funds of 845 million Euros from European Investment Bank (EIB) and France’s AFD. “The investment from these agencies will be 58 per cent of the cost of the project and the remaining 42 per cent will be raised from PMC and PCMC. Currently, we have enough funds to go ahead with the project and the talks on investments from EIB are scheduled in January,” added Dixit.
685 TREES MAY BE AFFECTED
Maha Metro Managing Director Brijesh Dixit said that as per the detailed project report, 685 trees would be affected by the project. “However, when we execute the project the number of trees getting affected can vary. Chopping down a tree will be our last option and we will modify our plans so that less number of trees are cut,” added Dixit.
