60 km-long trackless tram system to be developed as part of Vizag Metro Rail Project

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, held a review meeting with the Visakhapatnam District Collector, V Vinay Chand, in Amaravati, on Wednesday. In this, he has directed the officials to develop a 60 km-long trackless tram system as part of Vizag Metro Rail Project. 

The AP State Government had earlier decided to complete the Vizag metro project, covering 140 km, in three phases. The first phase, covering 46.42 km, is expected to be taken up in three corridors. These are Steel Plant to Kommadi (via Gajuwaka, NAD, Gurudwara, and Hanumanthawaka), Gurudwara to the Old Post Office, and Tatichetlapalem to Rama Krishna (RK) Beach. 

In order to relieve the financial burden on the State Government, and yet offer an effective means of public transport, the trackless tram system will be developed to connect RK Beach and Bheemili, NAD and Pendurthi and other sparsely populated areas. These will be executed as a part of the second and third phases of the project. 

During the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed the trackless tram models, which were previously implemented in other parts of the world. The officials were asked to prepare a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed network, falling into the jurisdiction of Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA). 

Discussing the land allotment to the poor in Vizag District, the Collector informed the CM that 66,000 such underprivileged people have been identified from the rural areas, who can receive housing plots. The identified beneficiaries, from rural areas, will be given plots in 1.5 cents and those from the city will get 1 cent of the land. Reportedly, a total of 6,000 acres from Anandapuram, Padmanabham, Pendurthi, Sabbavaram, Peddagantyada, and Gajuwaka Mandals will be allocated for this purpose. 

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner, G Srijana, Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) Commissioner, P Koteswara Rao, and Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director, NP Ramakrishna Reddy, were also present at the meeting.