Understanding Urban Congestion
Urban congestion has become a normalized part of daily life, resulting in lost time and increased stress, often impacting health due to prolonged exposure to air pollution. Despite endless discussions on the topic, the reasons for congestion and effective solutions remain misunderstood.
Current Solutions and Challenges
- Common Solutions: Typical responses include signal-free roads, flyovers, and road widening.
- Ineffectiveness: Despite infrastructure expansion, congestion persists and often worsens.
Insights from the Centre for Science and Environment
Research conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment revealed critical insights into commuting patterns in 50 Indian cities.
- Travel Time Disparity: Travel times during peak hours are often double those of non-peak times.
- Air Pollution: Increased congestion leads to higher emissions from idling vehicles, worsening air quality.
Shifts in Transport Preferences
- Private Transport Growth: A significant shift towards two-wheelers and cars, despite cars being inefficient in road space utilization.
- Statistics: In cities like Delhi, over 500 new cars are registered daily, yet cars only account for 7-11% of daily trips.
Public Transport and Para-transit Systems
- Public Transport Deficiency: Limited buses and reliability issues hinder public transport efficiency.
- Informal Para-transit Growth: Unplanned systems like auto-rickshaws and battery rickshaws contribute to congestion but are crucial for last-mile connectivity.
Proposed Solutions
- Mass Transport Expansion: Increase in buses, metros, and trams to improve people movement.
- Walkable Infrastructure: Develop safe sidewalks for last-mile connectivity.
- Integrated Para-transit Regulation: Incorporate informal systems into urban planning frameworks.
- Enforce Traffic Rules: Implement stricter penalties for violations such as illegal parking.
