After a study by the Institute of Urban Transport revealed that the Kolkata tram is a cheaper, environment-friendly mode of transport, the Ministry of Urban Development has asked metropolitan cities to consider re-introducing trams. The ministry suggested that trams could be introduced along Bus Rapid Transit corridors.

New Delhi Highlighting its inability to support increasing number of metro projects, the Centre has asked state governments to follow the models of Karnataka and Delhi for financing capital-intensive Metro rail projects by levying cess on residential and commercial developments, and increasing house tax. It has also urged them to set up state-level urban transport funds with such levies to finance the projects.

The Centre says its unable to support the increasing number of metro systems through the Budget and therefore wants the states to develop their own funding sources to part-finance such capital-intensive systems.

Many projects in the country may be languishing because of land acquisition problems but the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC) has over the past three years acquired 70 per cent of the 10,000 hectares it requires to construct exclusive railway lines for goods traffic. The area acquired is more than half as large as the 18,500-hectare Kolkata metropolitan city.

New Delhi: After missing several deadlines, the New Delhi Municipal Council’s multilevel parking lot at Baba Kharak Singh (BKS) Marg was opened to public on Tuesday evening. During the trial run, DLF— the private concessionaire responsible for the construction and operation of the parking lot — has decided to provide parking free of cost. The parking was made operational after NDMC gave the completion certificate on Monday.

Calling the Rs.7.50 increase per litre in petrol price shocking, Delhiites on Wednesday expressed their outrage at the Central Government's “inconsiderate” move.

“The Government has clearly not taken into consideration the already sky-rocketing cost of living. Rising fuel costs and the lack of adequate, safe public transport system adds to the problems of the common man. The worst hit are two-wheeler users,” said Jatin Gandhi from Janakpuri who uses his bike to come to Connaught Place and works as a marketing executive.

Moving towards partial privatisation, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Wednesday concluded a two-day Jal Bhagidari workshop held to create awareness about the revamping of the water supply, transmission and distribution network under the Nangloi Water Treatment Plant. The water utility has also come out with a booklet to sensitise all stakeholders on the functioning of the public-private partnership model, which will be implemented in four project areas on a pilot basis. The areas include Malviya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Nangloi underground reservoirs and water treatment plant, and Mehrauli.

The East corporation has decided to conduct free health check-up camps for its safai karamcharis, gardeners and nullah cleaners every week. The check-up camps will begin from June 9. “The health of safai karamcharis is a cause of concern. Their work requires them to be in unhygienic places. Due to this, there is a high mortality rate among the workers and many suffer from occupational hazards. Keeping this in mind, the corporation will conduct special medical camps for them,” Sajjan Singh Yadav told Newsline.

In a bid to provide some relief to the citizens burdened by rise in prices of food items, the city government plans to soon revive a scheme under which subsidised wheat flour will be sold at over 400 outlets at around `14 per kg.

The decision to revive the scheme came after Union minister of state for food and civil supplies K.V. Thomas at a meeting with chief minister Sheila Dikshit agreed to her request to provide additional quota of subsidised wheat to Delhi.

New Delhi: Continuing uncertainty over the fate of numerous parking projects has become a cause of concern for not only vehicle users but also the city’s planners. While there are plans to raise parking fees in the city, only one of the 41 multi-level parking projects conceived by the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been made operational so far, and work on 24 is yet to start.

New Delhi: The Delhi government finally seems to be waking up to the threat of environment pollution from the expanding private vehicle pool in the city. Based on an EPCA (environment pollution control authority) recommendation, the transport department is putting together a proposal for mandatory fitness checks of all private vehicles. At present, only commercial vehicles need to get an annual fitness check done at authorized regional transport offices.