A six-month pilot Metro Shuttle Service, to provide for seamless first and last mile connectivity from the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station to the surrounding sub-urban regions of Quatre Bornes, was launched, on Tuesday morning, by the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, at Quatre-Bornes Central Station. The Chief Executive Officer, Metro Express Limited (MEL), Dr Das Mootanah, and other personalities were also present.
The demand-responsive Metro Shuttle Service (15-seater vans) will cover the regions of Sodnac, Palma, Candos, Bassin and Vieux Quatre Bornes. The Shuttle Operator will charge all its passengers along any of the routes, a flat fare of Rs 15.
Commuters will avail of the Shuttle Service from Monday through Saturday (excluding public holidays) from 06 hours to 18 hours. At peak hours, the service will be available every 10-15 minutes as from 0630 hours to 1000 hours, and 1430 hours to 1800 hours. As for off-peak hours, the timetable is as follows: 1000 hours to 1430 hours (every 30 minutes).
In addition, commuters will be able to trace, through an App, the exact location of the Shuttle by scanning QR codes on their IOS and Android devices and on the website of MEL.
MEL has designed the routes together with the Ministry of Land Transport and Light Rail, the National Land Transport Authority and the Traffic Management and Road Safety Unit to maximise the catchment of Quatre Bornes and make the service viable.
In a statement, Minister Ganoo highlighted that the Metro Express project is not only a means of rapid and clean transit but it is also bringing technological development in its wake. He recalled that a Shuttle Service is offered in all countries where LRT systems have been implemented and this service is now being provided in Mauritius. He thus lauded all stakeholders for making this project a reality.
The Shuttle Service, he further reassured, will not be in competition with transport routes operated in the urban region. Five regions have been chosen for the pilot after the conduct of a survey, he said. The project will be assessed, and we will envisage offering the Shuttle Service to other towns such as Curepipe and Vacoas, he underlined. The project is a win-win situation both for MEL and commuters, he added.
In the same vein, Minister Ganoo indicated that the National Transport Corporation had launched some time back the first phase of its Smart Bus Information System. So, we have embarked upon a modernising process of the transport sector, he underscored. For him, Metro Express, today, is also contributing in this transport modernisation endeavour by setting the pace in that regard.
The Metro, he pointed out, has become a popular system of transport in Mauritius and the authorities are extremely satisfied with the progress of works achieved in Curepipe.
For his part, MEL’s CEO expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for the realisation of the Metro Shuttle Service project which will ensure more connectivity. The Metro Express is an integrated, collaborative, and innovative project and is ushering a lot of growth in the transport sector, he remarked. It is a successful venture, and 20,000 to 25,000 commuters are travelling regularly in the Metro Express, he stated.
