Leh: Ladakh Union Territory Administration is preparing a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for improving the accessibility and mobility for the residents within the Greater Leh and Greater Kargil areas.
The CMP being prepared will offer a strategy for short, medium, and long-term investments with an objective to
provide a long-term goal for necessary urban development in both the cities of Leh and Kargil.
A meeting to discuss the details of the CMP was chaired by the Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, UT Ladakh, Ajeet Kumar Sahu on Friday. During the meeting Sahu reviewed the progress of the infrastructure work being developed in the CMP.
Experts of RITES, the consultant agency, gave the Commissioner/ Secretary a detailed presentation on the feasibility assessment of an integrated mass transit system and allied infrastructure project in Leh and Kargil. The agency apprised the Commissioner/Secretary that a GIS mapping of road networks of Leh town had been completed.
The Commissioner/ Secretary said that Leh and Kargil should be made accessible cities wherein the divyangs (physically challenged) can move freely without any assistance. Further, he said the first right on the street is of the pedestrian and called for proper sidewalks and safe passages to be incorporated into the CMP. As cycling is popular in the region and also goes with the objectives of Carbon Neutral Ladakh, cycling infrastructure such as bikeways designated for bicycle travel will be developed, creating a safe cycling environment. The officials discussed various mass transport systems suitable for a region like Ladakh.
The Commissioner/Secretary, Ajeet Kumar Sahu said that the public should be encouraged to adopt sustainable practices such as using the public transport system and continued behaviour change message can be imparted to the people through Information, Education, and Communication.
The meeting was attended by Director, Housing and Urban Development Department, Zahida Banoo; Project Manager, PMU for Smart City, Rahul Singh; Infrastructure Consultant, Harsh Jadav, and Consultant agency officials.
