Basic HTML Version
MOTORINDIA
l
July 2012
115
an integrated road transport policy
is essential for overall development.
At the same time, there is need for
remaining carbon neutral. This is
all the more necessary for a city
like Chennai where there is heavy
freight movement by road.
The State Government’s Vision
Policy 2023 envisages an extensive
2,000 km of six or eight lanes, 3,000
km of four lanes and 4,000 km of
two lanes within the next 10 years.
Simultaneous development of ring
roads would considerably ease traffic
and freight movement. Even though
trucks plying on roads are facing
many problems including traffic con-
gestion, the State is quite successful
in handling the situation, he added.
Earlier, Mr. T. Shivaraman, MCCI
Vice President, and Managing Di-
rector & CEO, Shriram EPC Ltd.,
in his welcome address, said what
prompted the Chamber to organise
the conference were its 175-year
experience as a trade body and its
pragmatic approach to major issues
of importance.
Mr. S.N. Srikanth, Senior Partner,
Hauer Associates, in his theme ad-
dress, said India has the third largest
road network in the world covering
3.3 million km and national high-
ways covering 70,934 km. The rapid
economic growth has put much pres-
sure on road network development.
Since 57 per cent of freight move-
ment in the country is by road, there
is an urgent need to divert a portion
of it to rail and sea routes.
At the technical session that fol-
lowed, the speakers highlighted the
need for a co-ordinated approach to
freight movement by road, rail and
sea.
w
Enabling Integrated Movement
of Freight in City Bottlenecks
and Challenges
The main challenges here relate to road
movement, multi-modal transportation, ex-
port-import movement and availability of
qualified drivers.
Movement of trucks within the city is re-
stricted by timing and routing. The restric-
tions also impede freight activity. Safe and
smooth goods movement in a city can hap-
pen only during night. This brings in a new
problem of halting trucks from morning
to night. There is thus the need to develop
“truck halt bays” (in line with container
freight stations), with proper safety for goods from pilferage. The desig-
nated routes can be identified for freight movement on the outskirts. This
would avoid other motorists vying for space. Dedicated clusters like Ambat-
tur and Manali have access difficulty for freight movement.
Large trucks have to be stationed outside the city and goods transhipped
by smaller vans / light carriers. The system has to be seriously pursued as
it helps in reducing congestion. However, safe locations for hub have to be
identified around the city.
The biggest bottleneck relates to movement from and to the Chennai port.
Congestion here is due to bad roads, leading to consumption of excess fuel,
delays in permission to enter or exit (long queues) and shortage of capacity
in container terminals, (leading to containers being shifted away to Minjur
or to Thiruverkadu CFS). Further, regular strikes lead to stoppage / suspen-
sion of CFS activity.
Multi-modal freight movement
Any free flow of traffic without congestion helps in reducing carbon foot-
print. As for making Chennai cleaner/greener, even though CONCOR has
an expertise in multi-modal movement, it is not effectively utilized. Move-
ment of goods through CONCOR is from places like Jamshedpur. However,
return loads are not captured in a big way.
CONCOR has to necessarily create awareness and work for critical mass
to be used for return. It can also work towards propagating alternate port
destination, as in Tuticorin, whenever Chennai port is heavily congested.
In general any reduction in unnecessary movement reduces carbon foot-
print.
w
By T.A.B. Barathi, Vice President - Supply Chain, Wheels India Ltd.
emission control