It is learnt that Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza has pitched for a swanky metro transport system. While it is ok for the elected representatives to dream big they need to be practical and sensible and have their ears to the ground. The metro transport system has several advantages however to build the infrastructure needs a lot of planning and the feasibility of such a project needs to be taken into consideration. The building of metro systems requires a very long lead time, typically 7 years or more. A Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) is a mandatory prerequisite for planning metro rail in any city. The number of commuters travelling regularly also needs to be taken into consideration in order to see if such a project is financially viable. Instead of the metro transport system, what Goa needs is an improvement of the state owned public transport system, the Kadamba Transport Corporation. KTC has been in the red for several years. Poor maintenance has led to buses breaking down more frequently causing inconvenience to the general public.
