Dr Das Mootanah – “THE METRO EXPRESS WILL HAVE A MULTIPLIER EFFECT”
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Mauritius has embarked on major infrastructural works to implement its first light railway system. Former officer in charge of the Road Development Authority (RDA), Dr Das Mootanah, is the very first CEO of Metro Express Limited. He told Business Magazine he is confident the first phase will be completed by September 2019.
}BUSINESS MAGAZINE. As head of the Road Development Authority, you had chosen to stay out of the limelight. But now with your new position, we would like to hear about your experience in the railway and transport system.
To remain out of the limelight, and focused on strategic delivery, rethinking the Road Development Authority and bringing improvements and change where needed has proven to be a rewarding strategy and has allowed me to bring a deep shift within the Road Development Authority. However, when I took up this position, I was already well embedded as a civil engineer and researcher in large scale and complex project management concerning multimodal transport systems and risk management.
A few major projects come to my mind, and which now jell together to empower me, as I take up the challenge of the Metro Express project. I am entirely convinced that successful long-term planning necessitates “integrated thinking”, pulling in all components of the transport system.
Before coming back to Mauritius in 2016, I worked as Head of Integrated Risk Management for the High Speed Rail, the organisation that was set up for the delivery of High Speed Two Rail in England. The fi rst High speed rail connects London to Paris. The High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) is from London to Birmingham and Manchester. The HS2 project connecting London to Manchester was a £ 56 billion one. Comparatively, the Metro Express project is around £0.5 billion. Before that, I worked for the London Olympics 2012 on multimodal transport, getting the transport ready for the games.
Another pertinent rail experience was when I worked for RailCorp. It is a rail organisation delivering rail infrastructure and operations for the whole of New South Wales. The area covered was around six times bigger than the UK.
Another strategic leadership responsibility, in a different sector, was to work in the UK for the economic regulator of the National Health Services (NHS) as Director of Performance and Risk. It involved, with an engineering background, to improve infrastructure effi ciency and implementing major organisational changes. And additionally, my strategic management consultancy work with Booz Allen Hamilton in mega railway projects for the UK Rail Regulator and Network Rail, and fi nally supervising fi nancial services for the Financial Services Authority have completed my outlook. In order to undertake long-term planning, integrating all elements is crucial in management. It means combining technical engineering knowhow, fi nance and effi ciency. It is this diversifi ed experience that I have applied at the RDA and which I will take on now to managing the Metro Express Limited.
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BUSINESS MAGAZINE. Taking up the Metro Express project seems a logical step to the RDA chapter…
My past experience in the rail system at large scale in UK and Australia has already introduced me to the complexities of such a project. Still, to implement a light rail system remains challenging.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. There is quite some debate over the terminology. Is it a tramway or a light rail?
It is a light rail, not a tramway. Why? The train will use a light vehicle which will operate on tracks. It is not a tramway. It has a dedicated corridor, on-rail, ontrack. And, in terms of energy, it is a “light” rail, pulling less weight. Therefore, it needs less infrastructure and less strength. Therefore, we are saving energy.
“Metro” is just a name. Some say it is not a metro. But what’s in a name? West Midlands Metro, in England, is using the same model which will be used in Mauritius. It is known as the “Midland Metro”. The same Spanish manufacturer who will manufacture the Mauritian metros, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), has delivered a fl eet of 21 Urbos 3 model light trains to the Midlands transport authority.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. When will the fi rst train be on track?
Tests will be conducted in June-July 2019. And September 2019 is the deadline for the operation. It is a very tight schedule.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. There are some concerns about the energy consumption by the 18 light trains…
Calculations by the Central Electricity Board seem to confi rm that energy supply should not be a problem.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. Some analysts felt the model chosen could have used a greener energy, like solar power. What is your take on this?
The Urbos 3 does not use solar power. But who knows? Maybe in the future?
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. What are the challenges of transiting from the RDA to Metro Express Limited?
The transition to the Metro is facilitated by my integrated transport experience at the Olympics. It was a multimodal transport system with enormous challenges of achieving operational readiness, which will be key for the Metro Express project. In England and in Australia also, I had various experiences in this field. So, my experience in the Olympics, where I dealt with integrated transport, is very important. And also readiness is a key word. The deadline for the Metro Express is very challenging but achievable. So, this is like the Olympics for me.
Mauritius is a small country. For Mauritius, it is a mega project; for England, it is a minor one. It is a £0.5 billion project compared to £57 billion. But, in terms of delivery, this is very similar to the Olympics. Because it involves directly managing lots of interfaces: the road, the Metro, the CWA, the CEB and so on. I have been chairing meetings day in and day out to set the framework with all the stakeholders. As officer in charge of the RDA, I was accountable for the interfaces with roads. The Metro being close to the roads, the interface has to be very effective.
}BUSINESS MAGAZINE. What will be the benefits of the Metro Express to the country?
The Metro Express will impact on how people move, from A to B in Mauritius. It is going to bring a change in thinking and attitudes also. The project has undergone and will still be faced with lots of criticism, which is inevitable in such endeavours but as the project progresses, people will see how the Metro Express is making a difference.
Because at the urban terminals, like at Curepipe, Victoria station and Rose-Hill, it is going to be mind-blowing in terms of economic activities. It is very similar to the High Speed Rail project in UK. Everyone wants to work in London and the space to live there is very expensive and not everybody can afford to live in London. With the HS2, people can travel to and fro from Birmingham to London very fast, commute every day very fast. And along the line, there will be local growth areas (LGA). We can expect same to happen here. Economic activities and local growth areas will fl ourish. That’s the benefi t. The Metro Express project cannot be measured just in terms of cost. You have to look at the whole economic activity. It will have a multiplier effect on the whole economy.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. Can it bring along a change in lifestyle?
The Metro Express will also change the way we manage time. It will bring security. People do not move around so much at night time for the time being. And with the new drunk driving law, the Metro Express is a very good alternative for travelling at night. With it, you can go anywhere, stop along the line, have dinner and go back home safely.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. What will be the operating hours of the Metro?
It is yet to be fi xed. It will be up to the operator.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. How about the payment method?
The provision is for it to all be electronic and cashless. That’s the vision but of course, the payment modalities will be reviewed over the coming months also.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. Is the URBOS Metro Express the best model that could have been chosen?
It is a light rail vehicle which has been used in Gold Coast, for the Commonwealth games. Countries worldwide are opting for same. CAF, an European internationally renowned company, is the sub-contractor / partner of Larsen & Toubro and it is manufacturing rolling stock for many of the big rail companies worldwide.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. With the advent of the Metro Express, will there be a toll system (système de péage) to encourage people to choose this mode of transport rather than travelling by car?
This is a policy decision. What I can say is that the Metro is going to reduce congestion. In other countries, “péage” is one of the means to control the traffi c on the roads. But the Metro is going to automatically redistribute the load of the traffi c on the road. So, we expect part of the traffi c to transfer to the Metro through mode sharing. I don’t see it in the forseeable future as there will be a natural shift of traffi c load, but, again, it is a policy decision.
And let’s not forget that there are diversifi ed road infrastructure projects which are being carried out. And in the Budget, funds have been earmarked for upgrading of classifi ed and secondary roads. This will improve the fl ow of vehicles. And these infrastructures are not limited to the Metro Corridor area, but all over the country. And in the background, all these roadworks are connected to the development plan of the Land Drainage Authority. The drainage system will be crucial to control fl ooding and it will be even more functional with an improved road system.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE. Rail infrastructure will stay for decades or more. Can you share your thoughts as the country embarks on this mega project?
To be the fi rst CEO of the Metro Express Limited is a matter of great pride. When I came back from UK, I expected to be involved with the project in some way, as I had a long experience in the rail sector. And I am very proud of what we have achieved at the RDA in less than two years.
Whichever way I can help with the rail infrastructure, I will put in the same effort and hard work. The Metro Express is like the Olympics project for me. And I am hoping it will be as successful as we were for the London 2012. It was described in the press as the best public transport games ever. So, what I would like Mauritius to be? It would be a perfect, integrated transport centric country.
In Mauritius, people like their independence and their cars. Some areas in the UK are also “car-regions”. But Mauritius is small and cannot afford to be an exclusively “car country” for many reasons, including environmental reasons. In ten years time, there won’t be more space for roads in Mauritius. The more roads we build, the more cars we have. If we follow this trend, it will become unsustainable. My achievement in fi ve years time will be to see the Metro expand more from where we are and the seamless integration with other means of transport so that people can feel free to go somewhere by bus, by Metro, walking, cycling.
We are thinking of cycling lanes where we have space. In Grand Bay, there are future plans to create a shared pedestrian and cycling lane. Traffi c Management Road Safety Unit and RDA work closely together on such projects for the future.
