Transport infrastructure plays a key role in developing small and medium towns by strengthening connectivity. This includes improving roads, bridges, parking, and public transit. Government policies aim to promote integrated planning and cleaner transportation. Case studies of Hapur and Itarsi show how improved highways and railways have supported economic activity and growth by enhancing connectivity to markets and industries. However, more work is still needed to strengthen infrastructure and institutions in many small towns.

1. Development of
Small and Medium Towns
through
Transport Infrastructure
By
Anupam Sunil
2010MURP010

2. Transport Infrastructure
• It includes
– Urban Transportation and Management
– Construction of bridges over railway crossings
– Construction of fly-overs.
– Development of parking places and traffic intersections.
– Improving traffic management by widening and strengthening
critical sections of roads.
– Traffic de-congestion reduction & road safety improved through:
• providing pedestrian footpaths
• off-street parking and bus-bays
• Improvement of street lighting on major roads
• Road safety improvements
• traffic islands and signals
• Construction of underpass
• pedestrian subways under busy roads

3. Transport Sector as Development Tool
• Strengthening small towns and rural-urban linkages enhances both
rural and urban livelihoods leading to poverty reduction and
development.
• Development of towns as trade centre along trade routes.
• Development as transport hub for Railways, Roads.

4. Government Policies
• The National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) was formulated
by the Government in 2006. The policy, seeks to promote
integrated land use transport planning, better use of public
transport and non-motorized transport mode, use of cleaner
technology.
• For promoting Urban Transport, the Central Government is
financially supporting metro rail projects in
Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. Construction of Bus
Rapid Transport Corridors is a permissible activity under
JNNURM.
• UIDSSMT- To Improve infrastructural facilities and help create
durable public assets and quality oriented services in cities &
towns.
• Enhance public-private-partnership in infrastructural
development and Promote planned integrated development of
towns / cities.
• There are schemes for supporting capacity building and urban

5. Government Policies
• World Bank/DFID assistance was availed for preparing the toolkits and guidelines,
• i) Institutional Frame Work for Urban Transport – Guidelines.
ii) Toolkit for alternative analysis.
iii) Bus System (BSM) toolkit.
iv) Toolkit for Public Private Partnership (PPP).
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance was availed for preparing the toolkits and
guidelines for capacity building of State/city level Urban Transport Authorities and other
stakeholders.
i) Toolkits/guidelines for Bus Service Improvement and Bus Rapid Transport (BRT).
ii) Toolkits/guidelines on Parking and non-Motorised Transport (NMT).
iii) Toolkits for Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP).
• A scheme of urban transport planning has been launched in August, 2008 for providing
Central financial assistance up to 80% for taking up traffic and transportation studies and
preparation of Detailed Project Reports (limited up to 50% in case of DPR).
• The scheme covers the wide gamut of urban transport matters for promoting comprehensive
and integrated urban transport planning, studies, integrated land use and transport planning,
comprehensive mobility plans, preparation of DPR, clean development mechanism (CDM)
studies, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) studies, launching of awareness campaign in line
with the NUTP, 2006.

6. National Projects
• National Highways connects
various class of towns,
controlled by NHAI. There are
288 NH in India.
• The Golden Quadrilateral is a
highway network connecting
India's four largest metropolises Haryana
Haryana Dadri
and various small and medium Rajasthan
Uttar
towns across India. Pradesh
• The Western and Eastern DFC
Gujarat
• DMIC CORRIDOR Madhya
• The 1483-km long DFC – Pradesh
Dedicated railway freight
Maharashtra
corridor which has Focus on J.N.Port
ensuring high impact
developments within 150km
distance on either side of
alignment.

7. HAPUR
• Hapur is a city as of 2001 census, had a
population of 301,987
• A major Mandi town in NCR area of
western Uttar Pradesh.
• Strategically located between Delhi and
Moradabad.
• National highway no.- 24 and state
highway no. - 10 (to Meerut) passes
through it, which led to development of the
town as trade centre.
• Two Northern Railway, lines run through
Hapur: one from Meerut, 35 kilometers to
the north and another from New Delhi, 65
kilometers to the west.
• Noted as manufacturing hub of making
Stainless Steel Pipes
and Tubes, paper cones.

8. City development
• Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI) is
located here which is conducting research in the area of grain storage
from which the local farmers have benefited.
• Food grain storage developed by IGMRI has a capacity to store 20 lakh
tonnes of wheat.
• After upgradation to 4 lane system of National Highway No. 24 which
connects Delhi to Hapur, it is now being upgraded from Hapur to
Moradabad and is proposed to upgrade this highway upto Lucknow .
• Hapur is also connected in all 4 directions through railways which leads
to a strong possibility of Hapur developing into potential growth centre
in the NCR region.
• Hapur Pilakhua Development Authority was established as a second
and an independent authority by U.P. Administration during 1996-97.
After keeping in view the geographical,
historical and commercial industrial
importance and in view of the
planned development of NCR.

9. ITARSI
• A city in Madhya Pradesh
located in Hoshangabad District
with a population of 93,783 as
of 2001 census.
• Itarsi is a commercial hub for
agricultural goods, and is also
major railway junction.
• The Bori Wildlife
Sanctuary and Tawa Dam are
located nearby.
• Several industries are situated
near the town including the
ordnance factory and soya
oil mills.

10. City Connectivity
• Itarsi is at the crossing of important east-west and north-south
routes.
• Itarsi is connected via broad gauge lines to
– Bhopal and Delhi to the north,
– Bhusawal and Mumbai to the west,
– The railway junctions of Nagpur to the south
– Jabalpur to the east.
• Rail services from Mumbai to Calcutta and Delhi to
Chennai pass through Itarsi.
• Apart from railway, National Highway (NH-69) also connects
Itarsi to major cities i.e Bhopal and Nagpur.

11. City Development
• Development of Multi-Modal Composite Logistics
Hub through PPP mode, in an area of 115 acres
(approx.) of land between National Highway No.69 and
Delhi-Mumbai Railway line.
• It covers an entire range of logistics infrastructure
including rail sidings for cargo and container
movement, rail side warehouses, and Inland Container
Depot (ICD).
• Diesel Loco Shed is rated as one of the premier shed of
Indian Railways.
• There are lot of good institutes but not for professional
and technical education.
• There is lack of basic Infrastructure Facilities.
• Schemes like UIDSMT are not implemented properly in
road Infrastructure sector.

12. Conclusions
• Considering economic, demographic and environmental
complementarities that exist between rural and urban areas
there is a need to promote rural-urban linkages development
approach through transport connectivity.
• Passenger mobility in urban India relies heavily on its
roads. Bus transport will have to play a major role in
providing passenger transport services in Indian cities in the
future.
• There is an urgent need for a transportation system that is
seamlessly integrated across all modes.
• Appropriate institutional capacity and financial resources
are required in transportation sector.
• Development of small and medium towns through transport
infrastructure development ensuring better connectivity will
ensure sustainable inclusive development.