[sustran] Re: Experts for more roads in city(SeeLeeSchippercommentsonthis)

Sujit Patwardhan sujit at vsnl.com
Tue Mar 21 03:35:46 JST 2006


20 March 2006


Alan,

Wherever cars dominate transport and city planning, pedestrians, cyclists
and public transport are seen as obstructions in smooth flow of traffic
(read auto vehicles). The voice of the majority (pedestrians, cyclists and
public transport commuters) is not heard. But anyone who cares to dig a
little deeper can see how unjust is this perspective. Auto vehicles not only
favour the (powerful) minority but make other modes "invisible". Pune which
was known as a cycle city still has about 800,000 bicycles though not
everyone is brave enough to bike these days. Only those without choice of
other modes brave the dangerous traffic and peddle the distance on their
bikes. There's an interesting study done by a group working for the cycle
rickshaw users of Delhi that shows the importance of this mode in the city's
economy and the very adverse nature of rules/laws limiting the movement of
cycle rickshaws in the city. If you're interested please send an Email to Mr
Rajiv Ravi Email:<rajendra_ravi at idsindia.net>.

As for the role of buses in Mumbai here are some interesting facts presented
by Transport Planner Dr P G Patankar who held important positions in the
Indian Railways, BEST, Delhi Transport corporation, Director of CIRT
(Central Institute of Road Transport) and after retirement as a consultant
at Tata Consultancy Services.

In Mumbai:-
Buses carry: over 51% of road commuters
Intermediate Transport (Auto rickshaws and taxis): 32%
Cars: 17%

But
Buses have to crawl on only 4% of the road space in the city
Intermediate Transport gets: 12% of the road space, while
Cars hog: 84% of the road space

And yet there's ongoing clamouring for more and more roads AND flyovers that
mainly benefit the personal auto vehicles.

The Trips by Mode in Pune is even more revealing.

Walking: 37%
Bicycle: 18%
Bus: 22%
Two Wheelers: 16%
Three Wheelers: 5%
Cars: 1%
Rail: 1%

(source: Pune Municipal Corporation 2004)

This may have changed in the last few years as there's a steep acceleration
in the growth of auto vehicles and a natural decline in the use of Public
Transport Buses (the only Public Transport in the city)

Over 400 new vehicles are added to the city EACH day.
The annual figures of auto vehicles added to the city for the last four
years is:

2001-2002: 80,000
2002-2003: 90,000
2003-2004: 120,000
2004-2005: 160,000
(figures, rounded off, from the Regional Tranport Offfice, Pune)

Calculations on the basis of parking space requirements according to Pune
Municipal Corporation's norms show that to park all the vehicles added to
Pune's vehicle population in the year  2004-2005 alone we will need a
parking lot of over 200 acres !!!!! The largest open space in the city (or
what's left of it is the Pune University Campus which is 450 acres.

The situation is so grave that Pune is now one of the most polluted cities
in Asia (6th most polluted city in Asia in terms of SPM2, according to a
World Bank report published from Manila in 2003 December).

And still the major projects in progress in the city are the IRDP roads
(Integrated Road Development Project) and the Flyovers. The overloaded and
aging fleet of the PMT buses (Total buses about 1,000 out of which over 350
are more than 10 years old and the whole fleet is in extremely poor
condition, with high breakdown rates during journeys) is not on high
priority list of the local body nor the State Government.

Your observation
"It does seem that there is scope for a lot more education of the
"opinion formers" in India on this issue", is certainly not an
exaggeration!!!

--
Sujit

Sujit Patwardhan
Parisar
PTTF(Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum)
Pune






On 3/20/06, Lee Schipper <SCHIPPER at wri.org> wrote:
>
> in a few weeks our city reports from the PSUTA referred to in that
> Indian newspaper article, and our summary report,
> will appear on the cai-Asia web site. There are good data on modal
> splits, distances/trip,etc..
>
> >>> Alan.Howes at cbuchanan.co.uk 3/20/2006 9:44:49 AM >>>
> It does seem that there is scope for a lot more education of the
> "opinion formers" in India on this issue.  That was obvious even from
> my
> brief 2-week sojourn in Mumbai recently - I can't say too much about
> my
> current project without clearance from the lead consultant, but I am
> hoping the issue will be addressed as one of the outcomes of our
> study.
>
>
> One of my main impressions in Mumbai is that buses are seen as part of
> the transport problem, not as part of the solution - how else do you
> explain all the taxes bus operators (i.e. passengers) have to pay,
> compared with the "developed world" where there are all sorts of tax
> breaks, and specific payments for social obligations like seniors'
> discounts.
>
> Re. Pune - do have any modal share info, Sujit?  I don't have the
> exact
> figures I would like for Mumbai, but there is no doubt that
> considering
> the proportion of road passenger trips that are carried by bus (approx
> two-thirds the total, if the figures we got are right), buses get a
> very
> small share of the road space.
>
> Alan
>
>
>
> --
> Alan Howes
> Associate Transport Planner
> Colin Buchanan
> 4 St Colme Street
> Edinburgh      EH3 6AA
> Scotland
> email:  alan.howes at cbuchanan.co.uk <mailto:alan.howes at cbuchanan.co.uk>
>
> tel:      (0)131 226 4693 (switchboard)
>            (0)7952 464335  (mobile)
> fax:     (0)131 220 0232
> www: http:/www.cbuchanan.co.uk/
> _______________________________
> This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
> are
> addressed. Unless you are the named addressee, or authorised to
> receive
> it for the addressee, you may not copy or use it, or disclose it to
> anyone else. If you have received this email in error please contact
> the
> sender by replying to this email.
> Any views expressed by an individual within this email which do not
> constitute or record professional advice relating to the business of
> Colin Buchanan, do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
> Any
> professional advice or opinion contained within this email is subject
> to
> our terms and conditions of business.
> We have taken precautions to minimise the risk of transmitting
> software
> viruses. We cannot accept liability for any loss or damage caused by
> software viruses.
> _______________________________
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From:
> sustran-discuss-bounces+alan.howes=cbuchanan.co.uk at list.jca.apc.org
> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+alan.howes=cbuchanan.co.uk at list.jca.apc.
> org] On Behalf Of Sujit Patwardhan
> Sent: 20 March 2006 14:13
> To: Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport
> Subject: [sustran] Re: Experts for more roads in city
> (SeeLeeSchippercommentson this)
>
>
> 20 March 2006
>
>
>
> I was present at the meeting and after the presentation by CIRT
> (Central
> Institute of Road Transport) expressed clearly and perhaps loudly the
> fear that several "observations" from CIRT's presentation would be
> misinterpreted by our friends from the media who as a group are still
> more familiar with outdated traffic solutions such as building more
> roads and flyovers. The observations I cited were:-
>
> -- the city has very little land area devoted to transport
> (which can mean space for public transport bus depots, bus workshops,
> space to enable bus lanes etc BUT the media reporters may wrongly
> conclude that CIRT is recommending more, more and more roads!!!!).
>
> THE ACTUAL FIGURE FOR ROAD AREA IN THE PRESENT PUNE CITY IS AROUND 10%
> AND WE INSIST THIS IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR AN EFFECTIVE BUS BASED PUBLIC
> TRANSPORT SYSTEM SUPPLEMENTED BY CYCLING AND WALKING FACILITIES. NEWLY
> ADDED AREA FOR THE CITY CAN HAVE MORE SPACE FOR ROADS PROVIDED THERE
> IS
> A BUILT-IN PROVISION TO ENSURE THAT ADDED SURFACE IS NOT USURPED BY
> PERSONAL AUTOS BUT MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
>
> -- there is extreme and growing pressure on parking
> (this can be seen to be a good thing as it can ultimately and
> effectively do more than half hearted vehicle restrain measures
> imposed
> by spineless administrators or politicians 's not wanting to displease
> the growing population using personal vehicles due to worsening
> (through
> neglect) public transport performance OR it can lead to policies that
> make available more space for parking usually by grabbing the meagre
> open spaces, lung areas, river-beds, canals, and hills which ideally
> should be kept safe from the hungry gaze of the auto vehicles and used
> for walking or cycling.)
>
>
> -- vehicle ownership per household
> (many see growing auto vehicle ownership as a sign of advancement....
> India is becoming rich and prosperous, so that's a good thing. BUT if
> we
> only look at Singapore and European cities like Zurich, Copenhagen,
> Amsterdam etc it becomes clear that less auto vehicles on roads and
> more
> space for walking, cycling, car-free zones makes for a far more
> vibrant
> and liveable city, offering more scope for parks, gardens, tourist
> sites, and safe spaces for children and the elderly). We don't have to
> go through the cycle of ....
> --growing auto domination
> - reduction in liveability, mobility and healthy environment
> - reducing auto domination through expensive measures
> instead we can leapfrog and try to make our cities more liveable
> BEFORE
> they are run over by more and more roads and autos)
>
> There were more points but this will get too long.
>
> Unfortunately it happened as I had feared. Lee was misquoted by one of
> the papers and even if they print his clarification it will not fully
> undo the damage.
>
> This is why sometimes measured and cautious presentations by "experts"
> and "academicians" need to be combined with "loud" and even disruptive
> interventions from NGOs and activists.
>
> But of course this is easier said than done.
>
> --
> Sujit
>
> Sujit Patwardhan
> Parisar/ PTTF
> Pune
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 3/20/06, Lee Schipper <SCHIPPER at wri.org> wrote:
>
>         I have a slide submitted with the Xian report I will try to dig
> out.
>         basically the numbers are 15-20%. I think the 20-22 includes
> lots of
>         parking etc..
>
>         >>> Alan.Howes at cbuchanan.co.uk 3/20/2006 5:58:16 AM >>>
>         Lee's comments where?
>
>         4% of urban area devoted to transport does indeed seem low, but
> 20-22%
>         sounds excessive.  Has anyone got comparative figures for a
> raft
> of
>         other cities?
>
>         Alan
>
>
>         --
>         Alan Howes
>         Associate Transport Planner
>         Colin Buchanan
>         4 St Colme Street
>         Edinburgh      EH3 6AA
>         Scotland
>         email:   alan.howes at cbuchanan.co.uk
> <mailto:alan.howes at cbuchanan.co.uk>
> <mailto:alan.howes at cbuchanan.co.uk>
>
>         tel:      (0)131 226 4693 (switchboard)
>                    (0)7952 464335  (mobile)
>         fax:     (0)131 220 0232
>         www: http:/www.cbuchanan.co.uk/
>         _______________________________
>
>
>
>
>
>         ________________________________
>
>         From:
>         sustran-discuss-bounces+alan.howes=
> cbuchanan.co.uk at list.jca.apc.org
> <mailto:cbuchanan.co.uk at list.jca.apc.org>
>
> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+alan.howes=cbuchanan.co.uk at list.jca.apc.
>         org] On Behalf Of Eric Britton
>         Sent: 20 March 2006 10:44
>         To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
>         Subject: [sustran] Experts for more roads in city (See Lee
> Schipper
>         commentson this)
>
>
>         Experts for more roads in city
>
>
>
>         Express News Service
>
> <http://www.expressindia.com/about/feedback.html?mailto=vvdeshmukh@expre
>
>
>
>         ssindia.com>
>
>
>
>         Pune, March 17: EMBARQ, a World Research Initiative Centre for
>         Transport
>         and Environment, stressed on the need for the city to increase
> the
>         percentage of land use for transport from 4 per cent to 20-22
> per cent
>         to stem the traffic problems. Presenting the findings before
> Municipal
>         Commissioner Nitin Kareer on Friday before, EMBARQ's director
> of
>         research, Lee Schipper suggested that more roads are necessary
> for
>         tackling the traffic problems.
>
>         Funded by Swedish Institute of Development Authority, EMBARQ
> has
> been
>         studying traffic woes of Pune, Xian in China and Hanoi in
> Vietnam
>         under
>         the project Partnership for Sustainable Urban Transport in Asia
>
>         (PSUTA)
>         to suggest ways of coping up with increasing traffic.
>
>
>
>
>
>         Schipper said that compared to the other two cities, Pune's
> traffic
>         comprises two-wheelers, autorickshaws, buses all plying on
> narrow
>         roads
>         in downtown parts. ''Pune has less vehicle speed (12 km/hr) in
>         comparison wih the two cities and the traffic fatality is
> minimum
>         here.''
>
>         He said that Nalstop and Swargate chowks have higher traffic
> density
>         compared to Bhosari - an industrial area. EMBARQ study revealed
> that
>         around 60 percent, is directly exposed to air pollution.
>
>         Advocating Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city,
> Schipper
>         blamed
>         the city planners for failing to undertake any impact study to
>         calculate
>         the improvements done after implementations of projects.
>
>         Experts from Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT)
> underlined
>         fifty
>         indicators for ascertaining a sustainable transport system and
>         recommended monitoring the indicators by conducting frequent
> trend
>         analysis to ensure transport in the city.
>
>
>
>         [eb: We'd like to see (a) that list and (b) how Pune fared in
> it. Can
>         anyway get this to the group????]
>
>
>
>         Source:
> http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=174140
>
>
>
>         ================================================================
>
>         SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of
> people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on
> developing countries (the 'Global South'). Because of the history of
> the
> list, the main focus is on urban transport policy in Asia.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Sujit Patwardhan
> sujit at vsnl.com
> sujitjp at gmail.com
>
> "Yamuna",
> ICS Colony,
> Ganeshkhind Road,
> Pune 411 007
> Tel: 25537955
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Hon. Secretary:
> Parisar
> www.parisar.org
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Founder Member:
> PTTF
> (Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum)
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> ================================================================
> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries
> (the 'Global South'). Because of the history of the list, the main focus is
> on urban transport policy in Asia.
>



--

------------------------------------------------------
Sujit Patwardhan
sujit at vsnl.com
sujitjp at gmail.com

"Yamuna",
ICS Colony,
Ganeshkhind Road,
Pune 411 007
Tel: 25537955
-----------------------------------------------------
Proprietor:
Mudra
------------------------------------------------------
Hon. Secretary:
Parisar
------------------------------------------------------
Founder Member:
PTTF
(Pune Traffic & Transportation Forum)
------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20060321/7dfe0475/attachment-0001.html


More information about the Sustran-discuss mailing list