Implementing the Ideas of Sustainable Urban Mobility

A.K. Jain

Delhi is one of the fastest growing cities in India, and more so in terms of motorization. Vehicles are growing three times of its population growth rate. Traffic and transport has been a contentious and most discussed issue. Besides perennial jams, congestion and accidents, it is characterized by several independent agencies and departments dealing with the modes of mobility, transport infrastructure, service and transport management (traffic regulation/control, planning, design, finance, implementation/ enforcement).

Although the problems of urban transport are well known, the challenge lies in its implementation. Its sustainability is closely linked with social, economic, physical (land uses and transport infrastructure), environmental, political, administrative and financial systems. As traffic and transport touches everyone in daily life, it is also a popular topic of the media. Having worked with the Delhi Development Authority, it is worth sharing few experiences.

Delhi Metro

The idea of rail based city public transit system for Delhi was mooted in the 1970s by the government planners (TCPO and DDA). It was partly implemented as Ring Railway during the Asiad 1982. However, it miserably failed mainly, due to its disconnect with major work centres, lack of feeder service, uneconomic fares and low frequency of services. The Railways were its reluctant operators, who often excused themselves that they do not have the capacity, resources and responsibility to run intra-city railway services. While I was working on the Plans of Dwarka sub-city (1987-1990) in Delhi, it was proposed to provide an urban rail based public transport system for metropolitan city, which is integrated and supported by LRT and BRT system at the sub-city level.

The concept of rail based transit system got a legal back-up in August 1990, when the Master Plan for Delhi-2001, prepared by the DDA, was approved and notified by the Central Government. Most of the experts, academics and media were opposed to the idea and expressed various apprehensions- like too expensive and financially unviable, blindness of DDA planners to learn from the failure of Ring Railway, resources and space constraints, and so on. While as an official planner one has the disadvantage of such prejudices and has to listen to unreasonable criticism, he also has certain advantages, e.g. having a vantage position of policy planning, a synoptic view and easy access to decision makers and political leaders. I remember having been called by Chief Executive Councillor, Mr. Jag Pravesh Chandra who asked me to brief him about the contentious metro proposal as a professional planner, and not as a DDA planner. After listening to me, he said that he was sold to the idea and would see that it gets through.

After the briefing, he went to Chair a seminar on Delhi’s traffic and transport at the India International Centre. There he turned the tables and the critics of metro project were taken aback. The CEC Jag Pravesh Chandra argued that without a rail based system, the city would be choked and doomed, not only physically, but also socially, economically and culturally. Without metro, Delhi would become one of the most polluted cities of the world, which it is fast becoming. The metro will provide the commuters a comfortable, efficient and fast mode of travel at a price comparable to bus, one fifth of auto fare and one tenth of the taxi fare. Regarding its financing, he said that about one-third will come from Delhi Government, one-third from Central Government and only one-third will be invested by the Delhi Metro. Low interest institutional loans would be arranged for the metro’s financial share. Delhi metro will also take up property development, which would mean that commuters would only pay 15 to 20 percent of actual expenditure or a subsidy of 80 to 85 per cent on each ticket. In turn the metro would save thousands of crores in term of workers’ time value, reduced emissions, reduced consumption of imported, subsidized petrol and diesel, and ultimately will boost the city’s economy. He assured that an SPV will be created for the metro with most competent and experienced professionals, and its development and operation would not depend upon the reluctant Railways. He wished that every citizen of Delhi shares his dream of riding into the 21^st century in a world class metro. He became champion of the proposed metro project. The proposal of metro crossed all the barriers and was agreed in principle by the Central Government, State Government, Railways, Delhi Urban Art Commission, etc.

Finally, Delhi metro was sanctioned by the Union Cabinet in September 1996. The work on Delhi Metro commenced in April 1998, after the setting up of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC). The Metro Rail network for the entire city has been identified in four phases, which comprise of underground, elevated and surface corridors aggregating to approximately 415 km., and is expected to carry 3-4 million daily passengers with an average trip length of 15 km by 2021.  Phase one of the network (65 km) and Phase two (2006-11) (121 km) are already in operation. Phase three MRTS (2011-16) will cover 120 km, and is under implementation and Phase four (2016-21) will cover 108.8 km length.

The metro connectivity has also been extended to Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad.  About 60% of Delhi’s urban areas will be within 15-minute walking distance from the MRTS stations, after its full development. At present about one-fourth of urban Delhi is served by 200 km long metro. Due to development of economic activities along the Metro Corridors and optimization of connectivity, its ridership has been growing rapidly, reaching to staggering 2.40 million passengers per day (August 2013). Vehicular trips are progressively shifting from road-based transport to MRTS, particularly, the longer trip lengths (greater than 10 km). About one-fifth of the capital costs of Delhi Metro project have been met by the Central and State Governments each, JBIC and other subordinate soft loans contributed about half of the capital cost and remaining through fare box collection and by internal resources of the DMRC by property development. Keeping in view that about 43% of women commuters in Delhi face sexual harassment while using public transport, Delhi metro has reserved a coach for women passengers, besides installing CCTV and deploying women marshals.

 Delhi Metro vis-a vis Global Systems

Delhi Metro Network

Source: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

Bus Rapid Transit

The buses in Delhi carry an estimated 60 per cent of the motorized commuting trips, emit 4% of GHG, occupy 6 to 8% of road space and are only about one per cent (70,000) of the total motorized vehicles (75,00,000). Cars and two-wheelers represent 90 per cent of the motorized vehicles, emit 90 per cent of GHG, carry only one-third of commuters and occupy two-third of road space. The private vehicles are also responsible for most of the accidents and the victims are mostly the pedestrians or cyclists, who hardly have any space on the roads. The idea of dedicated Bus Corridor was first mooted in 1989, while I was working on the planning of Dwarka sub-city (then known as Papankala). The simple trigger was that by giving a separate corridor to buses, it would double their speed, efficiency and carrying capacity, without investing anything in more buses. Subsequently the IIT Delhi inspired mainly by Curitiba BRT experience took up the concept which was approved by the Delhi Government and the DDA during 2003-04. A detailed plan for 5.8 kms pilot was prepared by the IIT Delhi and was implementation during 2004-06.

The BRT pilot corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand junction has been in operation since 2006. This is disabled and wheelchair friendly with tactile flooring and low floor buses with footboard at level with the platform. The corridor has special street lighting for the safety and security of pedestrians. A dedicated bicycle lane has been built for the cyclists. The bus stops provide user information (fixed signs, maps, variable message signs), pedestrian crossings, integrated fare collection systems, protection systems and communication elements.

Delhi Government plans to build 26 BRT corridors in Delhi, covering a total length of 310 km by 2020. However, the project has run into difficulties and received bad press due to squeezed right of way for private vehicles, and partly due to faulty selection of pilot route, area around which is inhabited largely by car owners, and does not have an escape route within three kilometers. As a result, the Government of Delhi has put on hold the further development of BRT Corridor in spite of positive feedback from the surveys. A survey by Centre of Science and Environment and Indian Youth Climate Network (2008) recorded that 83 percent of all commuters supported the BRT. Another survey in December 2008 by the students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has reinforced these findings by showing that 85 per cent of bus commuters felt that the BRT has been successful, 88 percent found it quicker and 90 per cent supported its implementing it in other places. Studies undertaken by IIT  Delhi (TRIPP, 2008) and Washington based expert group EMBARQ (2009) show that bus speeds have improved by 50%.

The BRT system is also being implemented in some other cities of India under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in Indore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhopal, Surat and Visakhapatnam and Pune.

Innovative and Non-Invasive Transport Planning

Traffic and transport is one of the major agendas of Delhi’s elected leaders, comprising seven Members of Parliament, 70 Members of Legislative Assembly and 272 Municipal Councilors. They regularly demand better roads, parking facility, bus and metro services and flyovers in their constituencies. An MLA while asking for construction of flyover in his area expressed his fear that he would loose the next election, if it is not done. To reinforce his argument, he gave credit for the success of his rival MLA in the adjacent constituency to the construction of a flyover. It was difficult to convince him that there are other alternatives to deal with the traffic jams and other problems. Structural solutions, like flyovers built at enormous cost provide only a temporary relief and fail to keep pace with the growth of traffic.

Realising this paradox the Master Plan for Delhi-2021, notified in February 2007, advocates a comprehensive strategy comprising preventive, structural and non-invasive transport solutions and approaches. For a synergy between land use and public transport system, it mandates restructuring the city by Transit Oriented Development. Higher density, FAR and mixed land use envisage a compact and smart growth. It mandates an integrated multi-modal public transit system, including Rapid Railway extending to NCR, together with corridor development. Simultaneously transport infrastructure, roads, dedicated two wheelers, cycle and pedestrian tracks are to be improved.

Foot-over Bridges (FOB) and subways are hardly used as they cause inconvenience and insecurity to the users. As a result, the pedestrians risk their lives crossing the high intensity, high speed roads. As a logical conclusion, it is necessary to provide wide and safer pedestrians corridors at grade while the motorised vehicles move up and down. The walkways also need to cater to wheelchair users that require avoidance of steps and provision of curb ramps. This may be possible by raising the carriageways of the road by about 2 to 3 meters, so that pedestrians keep moving freely at the ground level without mingling with vehicular traffic. Such facility should be provided on all major roads, national and state highways, in front of village abadi, cattle grazing fields, transport nodes (Railway Stations, Metro Stations, Bus Terminals, etc.), and also forests and wildlife areas. The walking zone should be barrier free and designed as per the specifications.

During the XIX Commonwealth Games (October 2010) in Delhi the movement of trucks was almost banned for three weeks and the people were wondering whether they will get their daily supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, bread,  newspaper, laundry, grocery, soft drinks, water, etc. In spite of no trucks, the supplies were more or less normal. Credit goes to informal goods transport, which regularly delivered bulk of the daily supplies of fruits and vegetables (3600 mt) and many other items of daily consumption.

In spite of being informal and unorganized, it is estimated that 3 wheeler vans, pickups, manual thelas and rehri, etc. cater to about 60% of goods movement in Delhi. As compared to small truck, the autos and rickshaws are substantially cheaper, which by multiple trips deliver as much as a 5-ton truck in a day. Courier services, perishables, such as milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries and other short-haul deliveries are increasingly being made by auto-rickshaw, van or tricycle, These reach in the narrow lanes and congested areas where public authorities do not allow trucks/public carriers during day time and also during frequent VVIP visits, processions, ceremonies, etc.

However, the intermediate and informal transport sector is riddled with numerous challenges, including lack of parking space and road right of way, harassment by traffic and transport officials, poor vehicle safety and fitness standards, lack of insurance, etc. Although competitive and affordable, low fares force the operator using substandard fuels, polluting engines and preclude service improvements.The predisposition among motoring class and transportation officials is to expedite automobile flows, and they usually fail to appreciate the importance of informal transport. This mindset together with the pressures from customers and automobile industry add to the marginalization of informal transport. There is absence of any kind of normative policy framework for informal motorized transport services, which is a part of overall city transport. Delhi had about 60,000 transport related shops and repair facility, of which one-third are illegal or informal. Keeping in view the service rendered by informal shops and workshops, Delhi Master Plan-2021 mandates a reservation of 10 per cent space in planned commercial and transport centres for the service and small repair shops and informal sector.

Intelligent Traffic Management System, single ticketing, e- governance are important features of seamless public transport. Variable digital signage provides advance information about traffic jams, accidents, etc. The e-governance is an effective to conserve transport and reduce the need to travel. It is proposed to adopt zero defect standards for roads, services and their maintenance. Subterranean space is to be explored for roads, metro, parking, etc. There is a need to improve the drainage, mandatory use of porous paving and swales for rainwater harvesting on all foot paths and parking areas. Master Plan for Delhi-2021 also suggests to link registration of new vehicles with parking space availability and other travel demand management measures.

 Establishment of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Platform

Urban transport is a complex, inter-disciplinary subject involving about 30 Central, State and Local Government agencies in Delhi, besides many other semi-public, corporate and private entities. As a result, there is a fragmented and ad-hoc approach. The National Urban Transport Policy (2006) suggests that for transport planning, development and implementation the state governments should create a unified traffic and transport authority for metro-cities. While this needs a new enactment and a new set-up, under the existing Delhi Development Act 1957, Unified Traffic and Transport Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) has been constituted for Delhi vide Gazette Notification dated 31^st July, 2008 (amended on 7^th August 2009).

Since its establishment in 2008, the UTTIPEC has undertaken the planning, coordination and scrutiny of various transport projects-roads, Commonwealth Games, flyovers, parking projects,  underpasses, pedestrian facilities, cyclist networks, BRT, MRTS, etc. It has worked out norms, guidelines and manuals based on hand books and best practices in traffic and transportation planning and engineering for uniform adoption in NCT Delhi. The UTTIPEC has also worked out Transit Oriented Development guidelines and pilots based on TOD. UTTIPEC has coordinated the planning and integrated development of Metropolitan Passenger Terminal (MPT), Inter-State Bus Terminals, Metro and Railway stations by involving the planning agency, consultants, concerned local bodies, railways and the DMRC. Rather than earlier practice of road alignment, it has adopted the practice of urban corridor planning, together with corridor specific land use and development controls, facilities and infrastructure services. The concept of Facility Corridors along major roads has been incorporated in MPD-2021, so as to relate transport with land use and to promote a compact, smart, mixed use development.

References

1. DDA (1990) Master Plan for Delhi 2001, MOUD, New Delhi
2. Delhi Development Authority (2007) Master Plan for Delhi-2021, New Delhi.
3. Govt. of India, Ministry of Urban Development (2006) National Urban Transport Policy, New Delhi.
4. Jain, A.K. (2009) Urban Transport- Planning and Management, APH Publishing Co., New Delhi.
5. Jain A.K. (2012) ‘Sustainable Urban Transport and Systems, Khanna Publishers, New Delhi
6. National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB2005), Regional Plan for the NCR 2021, New Delhi.
7. UN Habitat ( 2013) Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility, Nairobi

A.K. Jain Former Commissioner (Planning), Delhi Development Authority. He has contributed in the UN Habitat publication 'Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility', 2013 23, Hanuman Road, New Delhi 110001 ak.jain6@gmail.com