[sustran] Cities need mobility, not cars

[Vinay Baindur]

*URBAN ENVIRONMENT*

*Anumita Roychowdhury*, Centre for Science and Environment

*Cities need mobility, not cars*

Our cities are in a mess and the clutter will grow. Recent number crunching
by global consulting firm McKinsey and Co. Llc predicts an urban population
in India of 590 million by 2030—nearly twice the size of the current US
population and 40% of the total projected Indian population. Cities, which
account for 70% of India’s GDP (gross domestic product), will drive the
economy. But these same cities are on a toxic spiral, urged on by growing
wastefulness, energy use and car mania. The current obsession with car-based
infrastructure and urban sprawl will only increase car dependency, travel
distances, energy and the pollution intensity of travel.

The choking haze of pollution and growing illnesses are the scary evidence
of urban growth. The International Energy Agency warns that cars will also
drive energy demand. Currently, one-third of our urban population in three
mega-cities accounts for nearly half of the carbon emissions from transport.
Parking needs are devouring urban commons—10% of urbanized Delhi is wasted
as parking spaces.

Can we make our cities livable? Make public health, urban design quality and
community well-being the basis of this growth?

Our future depends on the choices we make today. And the choices are clear
in our densely built cities, where the bulk of all travel trips have short
distances—5-10km. In fact, walking and bicycling make up more than a quarter
of all trips in major cities and greater than half in small towns. Public
transport and para-transit modes meet more than three quarters of the
passenger demand for motorized transport. Protect and scale up this
strength, and ensure equity in allocation of road space to all users.

Make the change real. Leverage the emerging policy
opportunities—reform-based agenda of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission and the clean air action plans. Cities must deliver on
public transport reforms, control pollution sources and pursue innovative
measures to restrain the car bulge. There is no other way.

Look at Delhi. With less than a quarter of households owning cars, and
despite the largest road network, life’s ebbed out of its streets. Road
widening and flyovers have not helped.

The signpost is clear: Cities need mobility, not cars. Scale up alternative
mobility choices, set the post-2010 road map to leapfrog vehicle technology,
and redesign cities to promote safe mobility. Cities must interlink a full
range of actions that form the big solution.

*Anumita Roychowdhury is associate director at Centre for Science and
Environment.** Comment at feedback at livemint.com*