[sustran] 'Public transport should woo car users towards mass transportation'

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mumbai/public-transport-should-woo-car-users-towards-mass-transportation-experts/article1-1284303.aspx

'Public transport should woo car users towards mass transportation' Prajakta
Chavan Rane
<http://www.hindustantimes.com/Search/search.aspx?q=Prajakta%20Chavan%20Rane&op=auth>,
Hindustan Times  Mumbai, November 09, 2014


  With more than 1 crore commuters travelling to work and back every day in
suburban trains and buses, the public transport system and infrastructure
in Mumbai should be largely citizen-centric and designed to serve the next
generation, which will be more comfortable with technology, said Aditya
Rath, associate director, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in an international
seminar on Mega City Mass Transit Options, conducted by Mumbai Railway
Vikas Corporation.

Though city-based transport authorities have commissioned various modes of
public transport and infrastructure projects recently such as the
Santacruz-Chembur link road, eastern freeway, metro and mono rail, none of
them have inspired enough enthusiasm in passengers to switch over from
suburban trains or private cars, to transport systems like the metro and
monorail, transport experts present at the event pointed out.

“The Santacruz-Chembur link road or eastern freeway has reduced traffic on
other roads, but has failed to shift car users to mass transport systems
like the metro,” said Rath.

He explained that at present, our public transport systems are designed to
take passengers from point A to B. Rather, our focus should be on providing
a comfortable commute from source to destination, and this is where urban
planning and an integrated transport network plays a key role.

Public transport should now be designed keeping the needs of the next
generation in mind. Children born after 2010 will be extremely tech-savvy,
and their commuting needs will differ accordingly, experts pointed out.
They will have a higher spending capacity and will look for comfortable
travel, instead of struggling in multiple modes of transport.

“In foreign cities, soon after people land at the airport, they get an
alert on their mobile phones informing them about the modes of public
transport that can be taken. This is how communication and technology plays
a role in persuading the public to use mass transport,” said Rath.

Rishi Aggarwal, research fellow at Observer Research Foundation (ORF) said,
“It is true that instead of adopting best practices prevalent in global
cities like London and Singapore where people are persuaded to travel in
mass transport, we are investing public money in developing more
infrastructure for private transport, such as roads, expressways and
highways.”

*Countries to learn from*

*The 7 countries ranked above average in the 2014 Urban Mobility Index. The
common thing among all these countries is that they have efficient public
transportation systems, resulting in minimum car usage:*

 *Countries* *Overall score in points* *What makes them above average in
the urban mobility index* Hong Kong 58.2 Despite being one of the most
densely populated areas in the world, with more than 7 million people
packed into a land mass of just 1,100 sq km, Hong Kong has developed the
most advanced urban mobility system in the world. Public transport accounts
for more than 64% of passenger trips. Also, the number of private vehicles
registered per capita is the lowest here. Stockholm 57.4 The Swedish
capital has one of the best cycling networks, spread over 4,041km of lanes
per 1,000sq km. Its traffic-related deaths are the lowest in the world.
Amsterdam 57.2 Cycling accounts for a very high share of passenger trips
(33%) thanks to a dense cycling network, occupying 3,502 km per 1,000sq km.
Copenhagen 56.4 The Danish capital has the safest urban mobility system in
the world, with 4.1 traffic deaths per million citizens. It also has the
lowest penetration rate of cars in Western Europe, and the use of
individual transport is on the decline. Vienna 56 Vienna’s public transport
system has the highest share of journeys in Western Europe, with 39% of
trips made on its services. Singapore 55.6 Singapore’s public transport is
highly developed, accounting for more than 48% of the passenger trips.
Thanks to high taxes and duties, car use is discouraged via congestion
pricing, in which more charges are levied for use of roads during rush hour.
Paris 55.4 In addition to the outstanding performance of its extensive rail
network, its cycle-lane network is also advanced, accounting for 3,520 km
per thousand square kilometres.