CMP envisions shorter walks, fewer tickets, smoother transfers in Chennai

CHENNAI: For lakhs of daily commuters navigating Chennai’s crowded buses, metros, suburban trains, share autos and footpaths, the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) promises a future where shifting from one mode to another no longer feels like a stressful obstacle course.

The CMP proposes a complete redesign of how people move between transport systems, with a central goal of reducing interchange penalties by 75%.

For passengers, an ‘interchange penalty’ is the hidden cost of travelling, long walks between stations, waiting for the next connection, buying multiple tickets and dealing with confusing signs or missing information. All these small inconveniences accumulate into lost time and higher travel stress. The CMP’s core promise is to remove these everyday irritants and replace them with seamless, predictable transfers.

For a commuter, the biggest change will be shorter walking distances and smoother movement between modes. The CMP proposes redesigned station precincts with continuous footpaths, easy-to-spot bus bays, dedicated autorickshaw stands and clear routes for cyclists.

Bus stops will be no more than 50 metres from station entrances, cutting down on long, unshaded walks. At large hubs, vertical or side-by-side interchanges will reduce the need for passengers to walk around blocked pavements or navigate unsafe road crossings.

A total of 47 multimodal integration (MMI) hubs will anchor this shift. For commuters using places like Central, Kilambakkam, Tambaram, Poonamallee, Egmore, Broadway and Tiruvanmiyur, this means that switching between the Metro, train, bus or a share auto will become faster and more intuitive.

Today, over 60% of suburban rail and MRTS stations lack even basic integration with buses. As a result, travellers often walk several hundred metres to find the next leg of their journey, or end up relying on costly autos because signage is unclear and services are not synchronised. The CMP aims to fix this by treating the commuter’s entire journey, not just each mode, as the planning unit.

One of the biggest wins for passengers will be integrated digital ticketing. By 2025, commuters will be able to use a single ticket or digital wallet across Metro, train, bus and IPT services. This will eliminate long queues at separate counters and the hassle of buying multiple tickets.

By 2030, the city is expected to move towards a full-fledged Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform, where passengers can plan, pay and track their entire trip on one interface.

For many commuters, especially women, senior citizens and people with disabilities, clearer wayfinding is a major comfort factor. The CMP mandates standardised, easy-to-read signage, route maps, real-time information boards and structured guidance systems across all major hubs. This will reduce confusion, improve safety and make navigating unfamiliar stations less intimidating.

The CMP also recognises that good last-mile connectivity determines whether people choose public transport at all. Continuous footpaths and cycling tracks are planned within a 500-metre radius around all major stations. Metro stations will receive dedicated street improvements in partnership with the Corporation to make walking safer and more comfortable. Feeder buses and mini buses will be strengthened and reoriented so passengers can reach stations without depending entirely on autos.

Suburban rail users will see major accessibility upgrades. Stations will get universal access features, improved level boarding and redesigned footpaths. These improvements are expected to increase suburban rail coverage from 44% of the population today to 60% by 2048.

For passengers, the CMP’s integrated approach means a future where changing between modes is no longer frustrating or time-consuming. Instead, it promises quicker transfers, fewer tickets, safer walks and reliable door-to-door connectivity. Officials say these improvements are essential to shift Chennai’s travel behaviour towards public transport and raise its share of motorised trips to 60% by 2048.

Key inter-modal connectivity proposals

47 multimodal hubs

· L1 hubs: Central, Kilambakkam, Tambaram, Poonamallee, Egmore, Broadway

· L2 hubs: Tiruvanmiyur, Guindy, Vadapalani, Velachery, Perambur

· L3 hubs across neighbourhood stations

Reduction of interchange penalty

· Target: 75% reduction in waiting time, walking distance and transfer effort

Four-part integration framework

· Physical integration: Redesigned walkways, footbridges, IPT bays

· Operational integration: aligned service schedules

· Ticketing integration: Single digital platform by 2025, MaaS by 2030

· Information integration: Standardised signage and real-time updates

NMT-linked station access

· Continuous footpaths & cycle lanes within 500 m of stations

· Metro stations to receive upgraded street infrastructure

Feeder connectivity

· Mini buses at key stations by MTC

· Regularised IPT services with fixed fares at select Metro stations

Bus stop access

· All MMI hubs to provide bus stop access within 50 metres