Metro speeds along the disastrous loss line

KOLKATA: Metro Railways has earned Kolkata name, but little money. It has been a financial disaster, say the policy makers while drafting the National Urban Transport Policy, 2004.
Their report says there are several areas the Kolkata Metro needs to improve upon before it becomes a commercially viable project. The primary reason for the loss is its inability to attract the ''ideal'' number of passengers, low frequency of service and outdated technology.The other reason is believed to be lack of coordination between the metro and other modes of transport.
In the section ''Kolkata Metro and experience thereon'' the report says, "The experience of Kolkata Metro has not been a happy one for the country... and, a big dampener for the metro rail philosophy to spread to other cities of the country... Even after the work was completed, the safety and reliability remain far from satisfactory and nowhere near the world standards."
Describing metro as unviable, it says, "Financially, it has been a disaster as even the operational costs have to be heavily subsidised, let alone provision for depreciation and servicing capital costs...the metro rail technology is outdated and difficulties are being experienced to obtain spares and replacement."
Competition with other modes of transport is one of the reasons for this failure, the report claims. "There is no coordination or integration with other modes of surface transport, with the result that tramways and buses compete with metro system," the report says.
In the wake of the criticism, metro has launched an innovative advertisement campaign to woo passengers to travel by the metro hoping to improve its performance and profitability. The draft policy was sent to the state government in April but could not be discussed as the focus was on the elections.
The report further observed, "Even now the frequency of train services cannot be brought down to less than 10 minutes during peak hours, whereas frequency of two minutes is necessary in metrotype operations. There are many instances of service cancellation and the punctuality is too not up to the mark. There have also been a few cases of fire and evacuation of passengers from the trains."
This, in effect, has brought down the number of passengers, claims the report.
"Kolkata Metro was planned to carry about 17 lakh passengers per day but it hardly carries 2 to 3 lakh passengers," it points out.