Metro Express / Enterprise Africa

METRO EXPRESS

METRO EXPRESS

Metro Express Construction

Proceeds at Lightning Speed PRODUCTION: James Davey

In a pioneering first for the island, the Metro Express ltd is implementing an unprecedented multimodal transport system and developing an entirely new sector in the local transport industry. CEO Dr Das Mootanah tells Enterprise Africa about the breakneck speeds at which Phase I of the light rail transit (LRT) system was completed, as the company targets completion of this definitive project before the close of the year. www.enterprise-africa.net / 3

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TRANSPORT

Dr Das Mootanah - CEO

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Metro Express CEO Dr Das Mootanah dials in to Enterprise Africa from the Ebène suburb of Quatre Bornes, Mauritius, which he likens to Canary Wharf in the UK: just five kilometres south of the capital, Port Louis, its own construction began in November 2001 with the district being vaunted as a new information technology hub for Mauritius and a vital link between African and Asian markets.

Located at the heart of the island and often referred to as Cyber City, it is the second most important business hub after the capital and the preferred destination for both wealth and

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employment creation through the use of information technology. Its inaugural building, the iconic Cyber Tower One, was voted Intelligent Building 2005 by the Intelligent Community Forum of New York and propelled Mauritius to a higher level of technology-led enterprise.

“It is something of a technological and financial hub,” Dr Mootanah explains, “and where the likes of PWC, Allianz and Deloitte have their headquarters; our head office is proudly situated here, too, in one of Mauritius’s most noteworthy and successful business parks.” The quarter has provided the sturdiest of bases for the introduction of the island’s very first light rail system, with Metro

Express incorporated in October 2016 and wholly government-owned.

EXPRESS DELIVERY “We are responsible for the implementation of a multimodal transport system by pioneering a new sector in the local transport industry through the development, financing, construction, operation and management of the Metro Express Light Rail Transit (LRT) System in Mauritius under the Metro Express Project,” Dr Mootanah outlines. “Our vision is to create integrated public transport opportunities by delivering sustainable world-class transport solutions.”

METRO EXPRESS

// WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM BY PIONEERING A NEW SECTOR IN THE LOCAL TRANSPORT INDUSTRY // As cities grow and public expectations for low-carbon transport options increase, light rail and other forms of mass transit are experiencing a resurgence as governments seek to improve connectivity and reshape cities. Done well, mass transit systems can reinvigorate neighbourhoods, generating economic uplift and creating a distinct identity for the communities they inhabit. Most importantly, they also unlock opportunities, giving people greater choice in

how they live, work and travel.

The Metro Express alignment, Dr Mootanah expands, will occupy a 29.5 kilometre corridor beginning in Curepipe and ending in Port Louis, and a leg from Rose Hill to Reduit, punctuated by 22 stations along the way. “We started the construction in 2017, and finished Phase I, representing almost exactly half of the initial 26km total, in a record time of two years,” says Dr Mootanah.

Having worked for more than 20

years in infrastructure in the UK and in Sydney, on some high-profile megaprojects including the 2012 London Olympic Games and HS2, Dr Mootanah has abundant knowledge of multimodal transport and is well-placed to recognise the significance of this feat, which saw seven of the route’s stations constructed and 13 kilometres of line laid down and operational.

“To be able to complete this aspect of the project in such a time is quite extraordinary, even looking on objectively” he sums up. The operational section of the route connects the island’s third-largest town Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, located in the Plaines Wilhems District, with Port Louis, and has since June last year been bolstered by a further 2.5km stretch to Quatre

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: TRANSPORT

Bornes, also known as La Ville des Fleurs, tipping the line to over halfway towards completion and adding station number nine to the roster.

“Since June 2021 more than 15 kilometres has been functional,” Dr Mootanah proudly states, “and we managed to complete the latest portion from Rose Hill to Quatre Bornes during lockdown, another huge boon to all involved in the project.” The monumental effort was supported by Larsen & Toubro ltd, the major Indian technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and

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financial services conglomerate, and consultant RITES Ltd, another renowned multi-disciplinary consultancy organisation in the fields of transport, infrastructure and related technologies.

“These agencies work with us on this priority transport infrastructure project, the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the country since independence,” Dr Mootanah says of these crucial collaborations.

As of 08 May 2022, Metro Express Ltd has completed nearly 18.5km of railway with 12 stations now operational and open to the Mauritians.

PHASE II UNDERWAY This major light rail undertaking was commissioned with the aim of addressing several key challenges prevailing in the country at the time - a rapidly-growing economy, increasingly unsustainable car ownership and limited public transport options all combined to engender considerable congestion during peak traffic periods.

The strategic need of the project was made more urgent by the requirement to improve road safety and reduce Continues on page 8

IT Infrastructure Finance & Accounting

CRM

Procurement

POS

Asset Management

DIGITAL INNOVATION KEEPS METRO EXPRESS ON TRACK As the Metro Express light rail transit system continues to take shape between Curepipe and Port Louis, the business model behind this project of national importance is also continuing to evolve. A body, leading by example, the Metro Express’ drive for world-class solutions is being supported by Leal Communications & Informatics Ltd (LCI).

A Mauritius-based and founded ICT provider (certified ISO 9001: 2015) with 45 years of experience, specialised in IT turnkey solutions including hardware, software, cybersecurity, peripherals, and business applications - LCI has been a trusted partner of Metro Express for the last four years, providing a highly secured cloud-based document management system (e-DMS).

Presently, the Metro Express has embarked on a new project with LCI, which includes the development and delivery of a cloud-based ERP system to streamline various business functions and processes.

“Last year, LCI signed a new contract to deliver a cutting-edge ERP system where Microsoft and Oracle-based applications will be deployed to streamline and optimise the Finance, Procurement, Payroll, and HR functions. This new solution will deliver an “Integrated Information Management System” for the Metro Express.

“It's about going digital and paperless; being more productive

Cloud Computing

Store & Inventory

Cybersecurity

Document Management

HRMS

Analytics

Payroll

and efficient, while automating processes and delivering operational excellence. We are proud to be the chosen partner of Metro Express along this Digital journey,” says LCI Business Development Manager, Reza Maudarbocus.

“We have great relationships with the teams at Metro Express and we are working closely and diligently to ensure that we get things right first time and within deadline. We have a motivated team of engineers and developers that works in a coordinated structured manner on software projects (ERP, e-DMS, CRM, Custom-made) using the latest industry standards.”

The project is well underway and is expected to be completed and rolled out by end of November 2022, enabling the Metro Express to deliver quality internal processes alongside top-level customer service. The local element to this project demonstrates LCI’s roots as a longstanding Digital Transformation partner.

“Agile Project Management methodologies and effective Quality Assurance principles are vital to ensure that the ERP system complies to Metro Express’ strict requirements and is delivered successfully. So far, our skilled and experienced resources, some with more than 15 years of experience, possess the knowledge, expertise, and capability to develop and implement large-scale software projects within the government, state owned entities, parastatal bodies and corporates.” says Reza Maudarbocus.

RPA

As Phase 2 of the ERP project gathers speed, LCI will continue to act as the Digital Enabler, linking in seamlessly to fuel the needs of the Metro Express to achieve Operational Excellence and Outstanding End-Customer Experience.

Contact us Leal Communications & Informatics Motorway M1- Les Pailles Mauritius Head Office 207 2200 info@lci.lealgroup.com Software & Services 207 2200 lcisoftware@lci.mu Corporate Sales 207 2200 corpsales@lealgroup.mu

Our Certification

ISO 9001: 2015 certified.

LCIMauritius Leal Communications & Informatics Ltd http://lci.mu/

Our Partners

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: TRANSPORT

Continued from page 6 carbon emissions and enhanced accessibility, mobility and connectivity between employment centres.

“The vision of the Metro Express is to deliver a modern, alternative mode of public transport that supports the country’s development and economic growth strategy,” Dr Mootanah stresses. “The benefit of Metro Express is that there will be an aggregate effect on the economy, as by developing the infrastructure through these towns and developing transport hubs, the project will act as a catalyst for incremental growth.

“As the first light rail system in Mauritius, the project is a key developmental step for the country to become an inclusive, high-income

Ebène Recreational Park

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economy by 2030. In addition to the economic benefits, there is the environmental benefit of using a light rail transport network and giving the Mauritian people the option of getting out of their cars.” With Phase I so expertly, and swiftly, taken care of, attention now switches to the project’s second major chapter.

“We are about to put the finishing touches to half of the second phase, within the next few weeks” Dr Mootanah

informs, “and what we have come to call Phase II B, the Quatre Bornes to Phoenix segment, has just been inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Mauritius the Hon Pravind Jugnauth. We are looking at a real success story so far, especially now that Covid has cleared the way for our ridership to begin to return to the levels we were observing pre-pandemic, and expect everything to be completed by December 2022.”

There is a sustainable angle at

// THE VISION OF THE METRO EXPRESS IS TO DELIVER A MODERN, ALTERNATIVE MODE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT THAT SUPPORTS THE COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENTAL AND ECONOMIC GROWTH STRATEGY //

METRO EXPRESS

// THE LAST TIME A TRAIN LEFT A STATION IN MAURITIUS WAS 55 YEARS AGO; THIS IS A PROJECT WHICH IS REALLY DELIVERING SOMETHING UNIQUE // the forefront of this development Dr Mootanah proudly unravels, manifesting Metro Express’s concern for the environment and resultant commitment to applying and promoting the most environmentally-friendly approach possible across all of its activities.

“The Metro Express runs on electricity and is therefore a greener vehicle,” Dr Mootanah explains. “For instance, the energy generated when the brakes are applied in the LRVs is automatically stored in the overall system and redistributed for use across the network, in station lighting and powering the electronic ticketing machines.

“Furthermore, to compensate for the loss of the Roland Armand walkway between Rose Hill and Beau Bassin, MUR 100 million was allocated for the

creation of the nearly 27,300m² (over 8 Arpents) Ebène Recreational Park, where for every tree that was unfortunately and unavoidably removed, we have planted three more trees.”

This project, and the speed at which everything to date has been successfully implemented, is understandably a matter of deep personal pride for Dr Mootanah; having returned to Mauritius after so long away he saw this as the ideal opportunity to use his wealth of experience to impact the whole country. “With so much background in integrated transport, delivering projects to deadlines, and transport infrastructure development I knew I would regret not taking up this chance, and this project really is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he effuses.

“The last time a train left a station in Mauritius was 55 years ago; this is a project which is really delivering something unique. We are positively disrupting the industry,” he adds, “putting forward the vision of a new, smart Mauritius, and of an integrated transport network. It represents a significant challenge for the country, but above all a remarkable improvement for the people of Mauritius.

“This project is one of the most complex national infrastructure developments ever undertaken, which is all the more reason to be proud of it.”

MAURITIUSMETROEXPRESS.MU

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June 2022

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Metro Express Construction Proceeds at Lightning Speed CEO Dr Das Mootanah tells Enterprise Africa about the breakneck speeds at which Phase I of the light rail transit (LRT) system was completed

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