The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India has released the People Near Transit (PNT) report, which evaluates the accessibility of public transportation in the city.

The PNT report has also become the building block for the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (MTC) first and last-mile connectivity (FLMC) project, which will soon be set in motion.

MTC Managing Director T. Prabhushankar, who released the ITDP’s analysis report, said that the PNT report, along with a few studies by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, forms the basis of the FLMC project.

The FLMC aims at creating access to public bus services within 400 metres or a five-minute walk, by introducing electric buses in unserved areas and linking the public transport facility with Metro corridors.

He said that while the MTC, being the only public bus transport option for the city, has more or less evolved around transit-oriented development, the newer public transportation model of Metro follows a development-oriented transit model.

According to the PNT report, which was produced by a team of technical analysts, the MTC accounts for the largest share of public transport movement at 72.40%, followed by the suburban rail and Mass Rapid Transit System network at 20.80%, and the Metro Rail system at 6.80%.

The MTC serves the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) — which covers the core of the city and parts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts — through 687 routes spanning a total of 2,115 km.

A key finding of the study is that only 61% of the population have access to public transport within standard walking distances.

While core areas of the city such as Anna Salai, Saidapet, and Teynampet are well served by public transport, rapidly growing suburban areas of Porur, Mugalivakkam, Chitlapakkam, Hasthinapuram, Selaiyur, Madipakkam, and Ullagaram-Puzhithivakkam have limited access to the public transit network.

The study highlights that, of the 61% population served by different modes of public transport, only 36% have access to frequent bus services within a five-minute walk.

‘Enhance accessibility’

The report has recommended enhancing accessibility to bus services by redesigning routes, adding new stops, increasing the frequency of services in underserved areas, and prioritising first- and last-mile connectivity through improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and feeder services.

Transport activist Raghav said that, as the recently introduced last-mile connectivity initiative — running mini buses through private bus contractors — in the merged parts of Sholinganallur, Porur, Manali, and Iyyappanthangal has been a failure, it is pertinent that the MTC operationalises the FLMC project at the earliest.