Centre yet again rules out Metro Rail for Coimbatore and Madurai; recommends BRTS
The Indian central government has rejected the Tamil Nadu state government's proposal for Metro Rail systems in Coimbatore and Madurai for the second time. Officials recommended implementing a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) instead, citing population density and cost-efficiency concerns.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing friction between state and central governments regarding urban infrastructure priorities and funding in India.
For the second time, the Centre has ruled out a Metro Rail system for Coimbatore and Madurai cities, and recommended the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) instead.
In November last year, the Centre rejected the request of the Tamil Nadu government to implement a Metro Rail system in both these cities, stating that there might not be significant time savings or high projected ridership and that the cities did not have the mandated population of two million as per the 2011 Census.
Following this, in May this year, the State government yet again wrote to the Centre, justifying and emphasising the need for a Metro Rail system in both the cities, sources said.
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