CUMTA decides to prepare city logistics plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area
The rapid ramping up of e-commerce activity has also led to a rise in demand logistics and warehousing.
CHENNAI: With increasing concentration and manufacturing and its ancillary industries in and around Chennai, and lack of logistics plan, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has decided to prepare a city logistics plan (CLP) for 5,904 sqkm of Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA).
According to a request for proposal (RFP) document, the ability to move goods has become crucial in maintaining the efficiency of the industries concentrating in and around Chennai. The rapid ramping up of e-commerce activity has also led to a rise in demand logistics and warehousing.
Under the initiative, the transport authority will prepare a logistics master plan in line with the vision of Tamil Nadu Logistics Policy and Integrated Logistics Plan 2023, Comprehensive Mobility Plan and Third Master Plan Vision. It may be noted that CUMTA is preparing the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for the city.
During the process, the CUMTA will map all the logistics facilities in the city such as container freight stations, ICDs (Inland Container Depots), Logistic Park, freight terminals, industrial parks, warehousing and others. Commodity-based model will be developed to assess the current situation of goods movement in the city and further demand projections for horizon years.
The CLP will also estimate key transportation network augmentation requirements based on existing plans of concerned government agencies and condition assessment carried out in the first part, including last mile gaps.
"A robust and cost-efficient logistics system is considered a key enabler for the development and growth of an economy. With increasing concentration of manufacturing and its ancillary industries in and around Chennai, there must be a strategic and viable logistic plan," the document said.
Chennai has been one of the prominent hubs for trade and commerce in the country and has the fourth largest gross metropolitan product in the country. The growth of Chennai is driven by the increase in movement of commodities facilitated by the ports and the inter-connected rail and road network, the document added.
