Central panel for more BRTs to reduce chaos on city roads

The suggestion comes at a time when the Delhi government has already scrapped the controversial BRT project.

Among a slew of steps favoured by a high-powered committee set up by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu include introduction of congestion tax, effective parking price, besides boost to walking, cycling infrastructure and public transport to discourage the use of private vehicles.

The inter-ministerial committee on ‘Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi’, headed by Urban Development Ministry Secretary Rajiv Gauba, has also called for better use of existing road space and traffic management instead of constructing more flyovers in the city.

The committee was set up in 2014, following media reports on havoc being caused by traffic congestion in the city.The panel has representatives from 19 ministries, Delhi Police, among others.

“The committee has recommended various measures, including interventions worth Rs 20,000 crore through BRTS, walking and cycling infrastructure,” an official release stated.

Expressing concern over 18 Central and Delhi government departments and agencies handling various aspects of transportation in the city, the committee, in its 126-page report, also sought a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority for better coordination, quick decision-making and execution.

The committee has recommended that the explosive growth in automobile population needs to be checked quickly by adopting a ‘carrot and stick’ policy of enabling increased use of public and non-motorised transport and disincentivising the use of private vehicles through deterrent parking pricing and congestion tax.

The committee has called for immediate procurement of 2,000 buses and another 4,000 in the next phase, besides development of BRTS corridors on high density routes; provision of more crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, at least at every 250 metres; and signal-free corridors to be avoided as they invite more private vehicles on roads.

It has also called for a paradigm shift in transport planning and policy interventions and expressed the need for moving people more efficiently through effective public transport system than cars.

The panel noted that 21 per cent of the city’s area was already under roads with limited scope for road network expansion.

As 60 per cent of passenger trips are below 4 km distance and 80 per cent below 6 km length, which are ideal for non-motorised transport, the committee has recommended development of necessary infrastructure for promoting walking and cycling in the national Capital. 

The committee also opined that automobile-centric planning with focus on road widening, construction of more flyovers, foot overbridges and underpasses have only promoted the use of private vehicles, which are meeting only less than 20 per cent of transport needs and should not be encouraged unless warranted by natural barriers like rivers.

It also expressed concern over the mushrooming of gated communities in the city, which compelled the local traffic to come onto main roads.

Other recommendations of the committee include parking on footpaths to be made a cognizable offence under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and penal charges for parking violations to be 10 times the normal rates.

It has also recommended that access to bus service should be within the walking distance from home or office and bus fares should be priced less than per/km cost of running a two-wheeler. 

Five BRTS corridors recommended by the committee for priority consideration are –  Karwal Nagar Moti Gate (12.9 km), Gazipur NH-24 National Stadium (12 km), Dishal Garden Metro Station-Tikri Border (40 km), Badarpur Border International Airport via Mahipalpur (26.1 km) and Harsh Vihar-Janakpuri District Centre-Janakpuri D Block (33 km).