SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY

In almost all the much developed cities in India like Mumbai, Banglore, Delhi, Chennai, Culcatta, Pune (rather in all developing cities in all developing countries) one of the biggest problem faced everyday by the common man is traffic jams, bad road transport and inefficient public transport systems.
I am resident of Pune, Maharashtra. We have maximum number of two wheeler motors, large number of cars (private vehicles) and much criticized public bus service like PCMT & BRT. Number of private vehicles is increasing with growing population and rising income levels and under so called social influence.  People using private vehicles are troubled with

1. traffic jams
2. parking problems
3. hikes in petrol/diesel/oil prices
4. costly maintenance
5. high investment cost. 
6. risk of road accidents which takes place every minute
7. the issue of pollution
8. Most important is lose of our Time and Energy

On the other hand, People using public bus service (as we have) always complaints about 

1. high tariff rates
2. uncomfortable (not at all luxurious)
3. not running on scheduled time
4. overcrowded buses. 
5. no remote networking (Many people critics that journeys with public buses take longer time as it includes time to cover distance from door to bus stop and again bus stop to door.)

We think that vast roads with procedures like road widening, flyovers are the perfect solutions. It will regularize the traffic flow. But the scene is different.

Flyovers ?
Flyovers often only serves to shift a traffic jam to one point from another.

1. flyovers/widen roads may meet the need of vehicles today we have; it might serve tomorrow also. But what after that?
2. it encourages the number of private vehicles to grow rapidly
3. it stimulates unnecessary demand for petrol which might be consumed in any alternative helpful and fundamental purpose
4. it also increases parking problems. 
5. it is pretty expensive
6. financially it is a dead investment. No revenue is generated from it for the Government or Public. If toll is forced then it will become great burdensome. 
7. it also does not generate any permanent employment. 

All the big cities in the world have gone through this situation. Many of them went on constructing flyovers and widening roads wherever possible. But now they are stuck with them as a nightmare!! Gaining from their experience we can conclude like Suitable Public Transport is the only way out.
If Public Transport has to be made more appealing, it has to;

1. reduce walking distances
2. be very predictable
3. cheap fairs

Why should a common man put himself in a almost miserable public transport systems today we have? In response to such pressures our Central Government has launched the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission in 2006.
Public Transport is a need of time;

1. cheap fairs
2. safety
3. remote networking
4. faster in speed
5. minimum road congestion 
6. lower pollution
7. lower demand for fuel
8. it will also affect real estate prices positively
9. it requires no investment from the common man
10. it needs huge investment for Government but it will also generate revenue
11. promote permanent employment

If fuel prices are hiked, the prices of public transport have to be pull down to discourage private vehicles and  adjust the demand for fuel in society. but this might be false economics because PCMT authorities do not believe in this.

Public transport systems are definitely more profitable individually and in a social context as well. We should think about holding bikes, cars for necessity only rather than as a prestige issue. We have made cars for us and not being made to enjoy the cars only. It will be better to conclude with the fact that energy requirement of Bangalore Metro per passenger per km is only one fifth of that of road based systems and so that is much cheaper.

Regards,
Swaroop Godbole