Transport in Coimbatore

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia

Coimbatore is a city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Most transportation in the city and suburbs is over its road network. Coimbatore is well connected to most cities and towns in India by road, rail, and air, but not through waterways. The city has successful transport infrastructure compared to other Indian cities, though road infrastructures are not well maintained and developed according to the growing needs of transport, making traffic congestion a major problem in the city. A comprehensive transport development plan has been made to address many traffic problems.

Roads[edit]

Avinashi Road is one of the most important arterial roads in the city.
Sungam-Ukkadam bypass bridge

The Coimbatore city and metropolitan area is divided into five administrative zones (East, West, North, South and Central) which are served by major arterial roads that run in an east–west or north–south direction. Avinashi Road is one of the city's most important arterial roads, traversing most of Central and East Coimbatore. It is part of National Highway 47, which connects to Bangalore, Chennai. Other arterials include Trichy Road (Central–southeast), Mettupalayam Road (North–South), Sathy Road (South–northeast), Palakkad Road (East–West), Pollachi Road (North–South), and Thadagam Road (East–West). Maruthamalai Road starts at the intersection of Lawley Road Junction and connects to the neighbourhood of Vadavalli and the Maruthamalai foothills. Other roads include 100 feet road, Bharatiyar Road, Dr. Nanjappa Road, Balasundarum Road, Crosscut Road (in the Gandhipuram commercial district), Diwhan Bahadhur Road (DB Road), TV Swamy Road, Brooke Bond Road in RS Puram Areas, and Race Course Road. In January 2012, the Coimbatore Corporation announced that they would be laying around 10 roads by mixing plastic.[1]

National Highways[edit]

Five major National Highways radiate outward from Coimbatore:

  • NH 544 (Salem–Kochi road)
  • NH 81 (new NH code for Trichy Road) towards Karur, Tichy, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam.
  • NH 181 (Mettupalayam Road) towards Ooty and Gudalur leading to Karnataka and Kerala.
  • NH 948 (Sathy Road) towards Sathyamangalam, Chamrajnagar, Mysore and Bangalore.
  • NH 83 (Pollachi Road) towards Palani, Oddanchatram, Dindigul, Trichy, Tanjore and Nagapattinam.

Ring roads[edit]

A major bypass was built by L&T[expand acronym] from Neelambur to Madukkarai on NH 47 which intersects the Trichy Road at Chintamani Pudur near Irugur and Eachanari in Pollachi Road.[2]

The Coimbatore Corporation is undertaking the construction of six railway overpass bridges in the city.[3]

The National Highways Authority of India has invited feasibility studies to upgrade the National Highway connecting Pollachi and Bannari passing through the city.[4]

Public transport[edit]

Low floor bus from JNNURM for Coimbatore city
MTP road bus station, all northbound buses towards Ooty, Gudalur and beyond start from here

Most of Coimbatore's intra-city transport requirements are met by extensive public transport, with about 1257 buses on 322 routes. This service, which is run by the government-owned TNSTC Coimbatore covers the city and its suburbs. An additional 500 buses operate on 119 inter-city routes, to major towns in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Pondicherry, and Andhra Pradesh. Bus services are generally considered efficient, but buses on some routes can get very crowded at times.

Private transport[edit]

The city is also served by a large number of private buses and auto rickshaws. The growth of call taxis is also on the rise and fixed-rate tourist taxis are available at the airport, bus terminals, and railway stations. Vans which are run like bus services are popularly called "maxi cabs". The outlying suburban areas of the city are served by private minibus company services and public buses of neighboring districts.

The city has a very high vehicle-to-population ratio. Despite a sharp increase in the number of four-wheelers in the city, motorscooters are still very prevalent, due to their affordability, fuel efficiency, maneuverability, and ease of parking.

List of Intercity (Mofussil, Omni, SECTC, Town) bus stands[edit]

List of Intracity bus stands[edit]

List of TNSTC Coimbatore depots[edit]

  • Head-Office Branch (City & Moffusil)
  • Upppilipalayam (Moffusil only)
  • Sungam-1 (City & Moffusil)
  • Sungam-2 (City only)
  • Ukkadam-1 (City & Moffusil)
  • Ukkadam-2 (City & Moffusil)
  • Ondipudhur-1 (City only)
  • Ondipudhur-2 (Moffusil only)
  • Marudhamalai(City only)
  • Ondipudhur-3 (City & Moffusil)

Air[edit]

Coimbatore International Airport (IATA: CJB, ICAO: VOCB) is a major airport serving Coimbatore and its suburbs. It is the second busiest airport in Tamil Nadu (after Chennai) and has separate domestic and international terminals. The airport lies about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city centre and is accessible by road and rail. The airport is undergoing modernization, including the construction of a new terminal and a runway expansion to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), which will make it the second longest runway in South India.

Other airports in the metropolitan area include Sulur Air Force Station. A new greenfield airport is planned in Nellambur and nearby areas to provide better air connectivity

Railways[edit]

Coimbatore Junction, also known as Kovai Junction, is the primary railway station serving the city, as well as the major rail junction of South India. It has six platforms and is the second busiest railway station in Tamil Nadu (after Chennai). Many trains from Kerala to other parts of the country pass through Coimbatore Junction. It is one of the top booking stations and revenue-generating stations in India according to Indian Railway.[5][6][7]

Proposed rapid transit[edit]

Metro[edit]

Coimbatore Metro, also known as Kovai Metro or CMRL, is a proposed metro rail system. The plan was shelved in 2011 in favor of a monorail system. In January 2017, a Coimbatore District Administration official told The Hindu that there was no mass rapid transit system presently under consideration for the city. The government again announced a plan to construct metro rail in 2017. Railway Minister Suresh Prabu announced a metro rail facility for Coimbatore, and mentioned that the central government is ready to implement metro rail in Coimbatore. The state government has also approved metro rail. The proposed works were anticipated to begin by fiscal year 2017–18.[needs update] The government announced that DPR[expand acronym] for Coimbatore metro rail will be prepared by CMRL[expand acronym] and it will be funded by a German-based company. The feasibility report has been submitted by Systra to CMRL and sent for government approval. DPR to be prepared after Approval of Feasibility study.

Suburban railway[edit]

Coimbatore railways have unique infrastructure to host a circular rail system as it has similar bus services within the city limits. One proposal would link Coimbatore, Coimbatore North, Peelamedu, Irugur, and Podanur before returning to Coimbatore junction. Another infrastructure that can be utilized are the four radiating rail routes from Coimbatore Junction to towns 40 kilometres (25 mi) away. The other junctions are located at Coimbatore North Junction (2.6 km away from CBE[expand acronym] on the northern side), Podanur Junction (5.8 km away from CBE on the southern side) and Irugur (16 km from CBE on eastern side).[8]

Bus rapid transit[edit]

The Coimbatore BRTS (bus rapid transit system) was proposed under the JNNURM scheme. The project calls for a 18.6-kilometre (11.6 mi) corridor starting at Avinashi Road and ending at Mettupalayam Road. After Avinashi Road, the route turns left from Stanes School and passes along Dr. Nanjappa Road and joins at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road. Avinashi Road, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road, and Mettupalyam Road would have an exclusive lane reserved for buses.

A dedicated two-lane 7-metre (23 ft) carriageway is provided for the BRTS corridor. A dual lane for mixed traffic is provided on either side of the BRTS corridor, separated by 250-millimetre-wide (9.8 in) CC[expand acronym] blocks on both sides. A 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) cycle track and 2-metre footpath is proposed on either side of the mixed traffic lane, also separated by CC blocks. It is proposed to have 14 at-grade bus stops and 3 bus stops in the route's 6.87 km (4.27 mi) elevated section.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Madhavan, Karthik (10 January 2012). "Coimbatore Corporation to go in for plastic roads". The Hindu. p. 1. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  2. "Coimbatore Bypass Road". New Delhi: Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  3. V. S., Palaniappan (8 January 2012). "Bridge works across six level crossings speed up". Coimbatore: The Hindu. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  4. "NHAI's DPR on widening NH 209 by Mar". Coimbatore: Asapp Media. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  5. "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". indianrail.gov.in. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  6. "Station Names with Station Codes". Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  7. "Computerized Reservation Offices in Tamilnadu". Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  8. "Route KM-Statewise" (PDF). Retrieved 23 November 2012.
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