In 2006, 60% of the country’s GDP came from cities and it is estimated that it will increase to 73% by 2020. But in order for this to happen, cities need efficient transport systems to support their economy and the welfare of their inhabitants. Why “efficient transport”? Because many people come from adjoining towns or villages everyday to work in cities. If connectivity between the city and these adjoining towns or villages is not good, it translates to no mobility which leads to loss of labour therefore no productivity.
Most Indian urban areas today face the challenge of making transport sustainable in environmental (CO2, air pollution, noise) and competitiveness (congestion). The necessity of the hour is to make easily accessible but clean and sustainable modes of transport. Widening of roads only adds to the use of more space and more air pollution. Also, there is the problem of traffic snarls as people head towards their work in the morning and head home in the evenings. Easily accessible modes of transportation will help in reducing the number of vehicles plying on the roads, which in return will ease traffic jams on the roads while reducing air and noise pollution.
High quality and affordable public transport is the backbone of a sustainable urban transport system. It is vital for all types of public transportation systems to be reliable, safe, easy to access and informative. It is extremely essential that the public accepts these modes of transport with no negative impressions — like of overflowing buses where commuters hang on for dear life. Not only will the future urban development be affected by the choice that people make in the way they travel but also the economic well-being of the people and their businesses. But developing an efficient transport system in urban areas has become an increasingly complex task because of congestion and people unwilling to cooperate. Which is why public authorities will have to play an essential role and will have to step in, in providing the planning, the funding and the regulatory framework and all the while taking environment and space into consideration.
