Easing gridlock in urban traffic

Urban transport in India's sprawling cities presents a chaotic scenario today. Mobility in the four metropolitan capitals is a nightmare, despite the progressing networks of metro trains that promise to take you home. On the other side, the contribution of public and non-motorised transport is dismal and declining.

Kolkata, the first city to introduce the metro in 1984, is today at the tail-end, having failed to expand beyond 27 km. Mumbai is moving slowly and Chennai has just started breathing after an inordinate delay. Roads in Delhi are bursting at the seams with a medley of vehicles, as it awaits more networks this year and further expansion in the next decade. There is utter neglect of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport commuters in all cities.

India's craze to own cars and other motorised vehicles, and to rule the roads is driven by lust, greed and pride. This mainstream and luxurious transport has led to an irretrievable street tangle and high traffic casualty. It imposes an enormous burden on all in terms of energy, time and money; and also affects others' lives, as vehicle exhaust fumes further contaminate the atmosphere. Also, motor bikes clogging roads are a big impediment. It is a cumulative vicious circle that is bound to cause disaster and ruin sustainable mobility in cities.

Pollution has found a permanent abode in the country, with Delhi leading the pack. Transport modes that have experienced growth in recent years are the most polluting. Transport is the key sector where carbon dioxide emissions seem difficult to reduce. India's progressive urbanisation and social disparity pose distinct challenges to climate change. Planners are just blinking.

Decongestion is the order of the day. To decongest roads, the noose on driving to the city centres must be tightened. It is crucial to introduce and enforce car parking techniques (parallel, perpendicular, angle, double), ban parking at market places and make car owners pay heavily for idling and parking on roads. All market areas need to be designated as pedestrian zones. It is imperative to alter road geometry and increase road space.

Idling or speeding consumes fuel and pollutes the air. An idling engine can produce up to twice as many exhaust emissions, containing carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, as an engine in motion. It is illegal in many countries. But, India is yet to bring in the law. In short, use of private cars needs to be discouraged.

Scanty measures to run buses and cars on green fuel have brought little relief. Urban mobility needs to be largely decarbonised to achieve reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Electric bicycles on dedicated tracks must be incentivised for commutes to nearby destination. These can be also used for rides to shopping areas. E-rickshaws and rickshaws need to be confined to peripheries.

Governments express concern over the urban chaos. But are they serious? On one hand, they want to introduce bullet trains and on the other, they provide legal protection to e-rickshaws, expressing political sympathy.

Transport planning is anachronistic and political lobbies spring into action as scientists raise the alarm about pollution and climate change. Unfortunately, most efforts have focused on improvements in vehicle efficiency and renewing vehicle fleets. Planning grossly lacks in strategies related to management of sustainable urban mobility and modal share. Knee-jerk solutions crop up whenever pollution levels rise alarmingly—such as running destination buses (a new name for chartered buses) and experimenting with odd-and-even-numbered vehicles on alternate days. Perspective planning is being totally neglected. The urgent need is to introduce demand management and congestion management.

In 2011, 31 percent of India's population lived in its cities. By 2039, this is expected to rise to 50 percent. On the other hand, slums now account for a quarter of all urban housing; and it is increasing rapidly in large cities.

Hence, by the time, metro trains expand their lines and routes further, commuters would have outsmarted their availability. Therefore, an alternate mass transit system needs to be introduced soon. What are the solutions? Perhaps, a Skytrain, the levitating mass transit of the future, like the one being built in Tel Aviv; or a (vestibule) modern streetcar system (or tram) that uses modern light rail vehicles with 50-200 passengers per car, which can run as mass transit.

In Delhi, its sole saviour, the four metro lines, are overcrowded already. Routes expansion may solve connectivity problems. But, trans-mobility and migration of workforce from suburbs are bound to shoot up phenomenally and exert further drain on the Capital's over-stretched utilities. Already routes that have penetrated into suburbs have the same cars (coaches). These are being further extended to neighbouring states. For travelling to and from long destinations e.g. Sonepat, Meerut, Mathura and Alwar, the DMRC should change the system with a faster commuter train that can be used interchangeably with the city metro—like in many countries. It will be faster than the metro, with fewer stops and long distances between stations, mostly above ground. For increased passenger density, these should have bigger and wider coaches, even double-decked, with cushioned seats. Metro planning requires a thorough overhaul and should stop being in stand-alone mode. And in cities and towns, a new concept in metro planning is required.

It is a pity that metros and local trains (EMUs) are not linked. Instead of local trains, street-level light rail transit (LRT) may be planned and can be integrated with metro stations. Or launch monorails could be launched. In either case, the land vacated/released may be put to better use environmentally.

India may not immediately require Elon Musk's on-demand, "energy-efficient" hyperloop—high-speed travel in pods inside a partial-vacuum loop – a new way to move people and things at airline speeds for the price of a bus ticket. But, definitely, a last-mile connectivity that can be solved with EZ10, a driverless, 12-passenger smart electric shuttle designed to cover short distances and predefined routes in multi-use environments. It can be operated in metro mode, bus mode and on-demand service mode like taxi. Also, pods, connecting metro stations, for short distances can be considered. Definitely, an utterly fresh approach is required.

Clearly, sustainable mobility will be a big issue. India is yet to develop a transport system that is efficient, reliable, affordable and accessible to all. Governments lack a clear vision on sustainable mobility and an integrated move. Mobility planning is being messed up by a multiplicity of authorities and departments involved in urban transport. With conflicting agendas, their understanding of the issues and efforts are not realistic.

India's national urban transport policy needs a massive revamp. The policy should aim at providing an integrated multimodal transport in cities, taking into consideration the varying demands from corridor to corridor and capacity of different modes. To offer a seamless journey to users, the public transport network must be city-wide, coordinated and well-integrated with efficient interchange infrastructure. To enable commuters to choose their network, and to avoid conflicting movements and save time, this requires not only physical integration but also network, fare, information and institutional integration. A new department focusing on public transport should be set up immediately. Is the Government up for this monumental task?

Even if Government attempts to revolutionise transport, real transformation can be effected only by an enlightened public. Imposition of any number of laws can make only a small dent if vehicle users either circumvent the law or escape after paying even a hefty fine. Travel behaviour in cities ought to drastically change. More importantly, unless mindsets mature, roads will be ruled by the unruly.