<h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="left"><font size="3" color="#5c3e21" face="Verdana">High
Powered Expert Committee </font></h1>
<h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="left"><font size="3" color="#5c3e21" face="Verdana">Meeting
on Urban Transportation</font></h1><br><br><a href="http://www.niua.org/upcoming%20seminars/hpec/hpec_transport/hpec_transport.htm">http://www.niua.org/upcoming%20seminars/hpec/hpec_transport/hpec_transport.htm</a><br>
<br><font size="4" color="#6a4626" face="Verdana"><b>T</b></font><font size="2" face="Verdana">he
High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) on estimating investment requirements
in urban infrastructure met on January 20, 2009. Focus of this meeting was
on urban transportation. It was chaired by Dr. Isher Ahluwalia. Mr. Anil
Baijal, Former Secretary (UD) and Mr. O.P.Agarwal, Executive Director,
IL&FS, were special invitees to this meeting. Mr. O.P.Agarwal made a
presentation on, "Investments needed for Sustainable Urban
Transportation in India". He brought out various issues, initiatives
taken and possible approaches for improved urban transportation system in
India. The focus of the National Urban Transport Policy is moving people
and not vehicles. This will require that public transport should be more
attractive to use. Working Group Report on Urban Transport for XIth Five
Year Plan has estimated investment requirement of Rs. 1,32,50,00 crore
(including modern buses). Challenge for improved bus transport is to
provide good quality service at an affordable price. It is important to
evaluate alternative public transport technologies in the context of city
characteristics. The public transport options vary between low cost buses
to high cost rail metros. He said that several initiatives have been taken
in India: </font>
<ul><li>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">Many
cities have prepared Comprehensive Mobility Plans; </font>
</p></li><li>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">15
cities have planned to introduce modern bus services; </font>
</p></li><li>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">Bus
Rapid Transport (BRT) is coming up in 11 cities; </font>
</p></li><li>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">Six
City Planning new metro rail systems; and </font>
</p></li><li>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">Unified
Metropolitan Transport Authorities have been set up in two cities.</font>
</p></li></ul>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">There
is need for undertaking a major capacity building program in the sector.</font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana">Moreover,
the present initiatives have overlooked that simple low cost
traffic improvement measures can improve the traffic situation. In
addition, improvement or modernization of the existing bus systems as well
as improved facilities for pedestrian and cyclists are missing. He added
that bus systems can be improved through provision of better buses,
improved information system and prioritization of bus flows through
dedicated bus lane. The key message from the review of urban transport
sector in India is that the proposed approach has to be comprehensive and
serve a range of human needs. Finally, urban transport planning is more an
art than science. There was extensive discussion on the subject after the
presentation. Chairperson said that the presentation and discussions will
help HPEC in addressing the issues of urban transport.</font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font size="2" face="Verdana"><br></font>
</p><br><br>