Planning for sustainable urban trasport

PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT
*Ar Jit Kumar Gupta
INTRODUCTION
Cities and civilizations are synonymous
because cities have existed as integral part of
human history. Cities have historically
scripted the growth of mankind right from his
inception. As per the U N Habitat Report on
State of the World Cities, 2008-09’, ‘Cities
are perhaps one of humanity’s most complex
creation, never finished, never definitive.
They are like a journey that never ends. Their
evolution is determined by their ascent into
greatness or their descent into decline. They
are the past, the present and the future’.
Cities are great places because they are not
only promoters and storehouse of ideas and
inventions but are also major contributors to
the national economy and global wealth
besides generators of large employment.
India is urbanizing rapidly under the impact of industrial growth and spread of service
sector. The pace of urbanization is picking up with more and more people making cities
as their preferred place of residence and place of work. In India, cities are on move and
are designated to play critical role in the growth and development of the country. As per
Mckinsey Global Institute Report - India Urban Awakening: Building Inclusive Cities-
Urban India by 2030 will house 590 million people (as against 377 million in 2011),
which is twice the present US population. Cities will generate 70% GDP and 80%
revenue of the country. Share of Urban India in new job creation will be of the order of
70% (170 million) which India, as a nation will generate. Cities will also create enormous
wealth at the individual level with 91 million urban households joining the select band of
middle class, more than four times the number of existing households ( 22 million).
Number of metropolitan centres will rise to 68 (53 in 2011), which is twice the number of
metropolises entire Europe has (35) . However, investment to the tune of $ 1.2 Trillion
will be needed to meet projected infrastructure demand, whereas 700-900 million sqmts
of residential/ commercial area will be needed annually- a new Chicago to be created -to
meet the built area needs of the urban India. In addition, 2.5 billion sqmts of roads will
have to be paved, which is 20 times the road network created in last decade. 7400km
(350-400 km/year) of metro will be needed – 20 times created in last decade, to meet
the transportation demand of cities by 2030.

In this scenario of rapid and massive urbanization, cities have been found to be major
drivers of national economies using transportation to leverage their growth and
development . Movement of both people and goods, has been observed to be a necessary
and essential condition/component of development. Accordingly, traffic and
transportation, as a sector, has been gaining high degree of currency because of its critical
role in promoting economic development and social integration of a region and country.
In addition to bridging the gap between demand and supply of goods and services and
providing mobility for its citizens, transportation has been considered vital for leveraging
employment, promoting industries besides contributing to prosperity of a nation. If cities
are known as engines of economic growth, then transportation has rightly been called
wheels of such engine.
Role of transportation has been assuming critical importance in the urban areas because
of large concentration of population and activities leading to generation of high degree of
traffic volume and traffic demand. With rapid growth of population, sprawling
conurbation, scattered and unstructured physical expansion of urban centers in general
and metropolitan centers in particular, traffic volumes have been multiplying and
leapfrogging in these centers. The physical expansion of cities has led to increased
distances between place of work, place of living, place of trade and commerce, place of
leisure etc., placing large demand on transport network to ferry large number of people
and goods across destinations.
Transportation scenario in India is highly complex and is marked by large number of
dualities and contradictions. Despite low holding capacity of road network, numbers of
both mechanized and non-mechanized vehicles are increasing rapidly. Despite lack of
parking areas, more and more vehicles are being added into the cities occupying every
available road space including all possible open spaces. In the process, cities are marked
with high degree of vehicular congestion leading to long delays and raising the cost of
business; extremely low vehicular speed; high degree of air pollution threatening the life
/health of the people; large number of road accidents leading to loss of precious life and
property and emission of large volume of greenhouse gasses and global warming. Instead
of providing high degree of mobility and operational efficiency, urban transportation has
emerged as the major roadblock and threat to the economy, environment and
sustainability of majority of cities.
Transportation, besides having environmental implication, is known to impact society in
a large number of ways imposing social costs on individual , communities and cities.
Social costs imposed by transport include road crashes, air pollution, physical
inactivity, time taken away from the family while commuting and vulnerability to fuel
price increases. Many of these negative impacts fall disproportionately on those social
groups , who are unlikely to own and drive cars. Slowing the delivery of goods and
services, traffic congestion invariably imposes enormous economic costs on residents,
communities and cities by wasting their precious time.

According to World Resource Institute,’ Car-oriented cities have a number of costs for
citizens’ health and well-being besides social costs. Up to 75% of urban air pollution is
caused by motor vehicle fuel combustion, and in 2019, seven million premature deaths
across nations were linked to outdoor air
pollution. Numerous studies have also shown that sedentary, car-oriented lifestyles
contribute to higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and other associated diseases With millions
of precious man- hours lost in everyday travel, transportation is adversely impacting the
productivity of human beings. In the process, travel and traffic blues are fast emerging as
major threat to the effective and efficient functioning of the urban centers.
With Indian transportation scenario marked with large variety of heterogeneous travel
modes, of varying speed and characteristics, operating in the urban centers and competing
with each other for adequate space on already highly stressed road network, the problems
of traffic and transportation are assuming alarming proportions. Majority of problems are
concentrated in core areas of the cities, which house major urban activities besides large
chunk of population. With limited space, inadequate road network and limited holding
capacity, these areas are already under enormous stress, causing numerous operational
and functional problems.
Considering the role and importance in overall economic and social growth, it becomes
important that urban transportation, as a sector and as a essential human activity, is
critically looked at and appropriately addressed with rational strategies put in place, on
priority ,to make it safe, affordable, faster, comfortable, reliable, sustainable, effective
and efficient. This would be valuable for improving accessibility to jobs, healthcare,
education, recreation and other day to day needs of human beings. This would involve
looking objectively at the entire mechanism of transportation. Since transportation is the
product of rapid urbanization, fast expanding cities, increased travel demand, rising trip

length, typologies of vehicles used , existing mobility network and defined land uses,
accordingly it calls for making urban transportation integral part of urban planning,
development and management process. In addition, it would also require redefining our
travel options, transport priorities and planning strategies in the urban sector, in order to
rationalize the travel demand and traffic patterns.
Traditional transport planning aims to improve mobility, especially for vehicles, but have
invariably failed to adequately consider and address wider impacts on human beings .
Basic and essential purpose of transport is providing cost-effective and time -efficient
access to; living, working, healthcare, amenities, infrastructure education, goods and
services, friends and family. There exist proven techniques and technologies to improve
access while simultaneously reducing environmental and social impacts, by rationally
managing traffic congestion. Cities and authorities, which are able to adequately
improve and address the sustainability, effectiveness and efficacy of their transport
networks have defined and shown the roadmap for creating more vibrant, livable and
sustainable cities. (Wikipedia)
INDIAN TRANSPORTATION SCENARIO
With rapid urbanization and industrialization, demand for transportation of goods and
services is rising rapidly. Accordingly, freight industry is growing rapidly with annual
growth rate placed at 8.5%. Transport, as a sector, also makes substantial contribution to
the Indian economy. As per available statistics, overall contribution of transportation
sector to the national GDP stood at 6.5% in 2012-13 as against 6.0 %in 2001. Major
contribution came from the road transport whose share was placed at 4.9% (75%).
Contribution of railways stood merely at 0.9% (14%) whereas rest of the modes
accounted for only 0.7% (11%). Further, the entire increase in percentage share of
transport to GDP between 2001-2013, has come from only road transport sector, whereas
share of railways declined from 1.2% to 0.9%. During the same period, share of other
modes of transportation also recorded steady decline. This clearly indicates the criticality
of road transport in the Indian economy and urban growth. However, this also indicates
the marginalization of the other means of transport, which need to be encouraged,
promoted and appropriately leveraged, to promote speedier, cost-effective, safe and
sustainable transportation of goods and services in the urban sector
Post-independence period has witnessed enormous production and addition of vehicles on
the Indian roads . With India producing 26.36 million vehicles during 2019-20; number
of registered vehicles recorded in the country were ofthe order of 295.8 million( March
31, 2020), as against the 89.6 million in 2006. Nine Indian states recorded registration of
more than 10 million vehicles each with state of Maharashtra recording 30.22 million
vehicles followed by State of Uttar Pradesh (2017) . Highest concentration of registered
vehicles was found to be in mega urban centers of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai,
Hyderabad and Bengaluru . Delhi, among cities, alone accounted for 12 million
registered vehicles in the year 2019. Large urban centres also recorded mismatch in the
growth of population and number of registered vehicles. Six major metropolitan centers,
where population increase was merely of the order of 1.9 times during last 2 decades , the
number of motor vehicles went up by over 7.75 times during the same period. Besides

increase in numbers, pattern of vehicle ownership has also undergone rapid change with
personalized mode accounting for more than 80% of total vehicles. Maximum growth has
been recorded in the category of two wheelers whose share went Northwards ,from 8.8%,
in 1951 to 72.2% in 2006. During the same period, share of buses went Southwards, from
11.1% to merely 1.1%.
Considering the fact that India is fast emerging as the global manufacturing hub of
automobile, Munich based Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Report estimated that,
vehicle penetration in India will grow six folds in next fifteen years from 12 vehicles in
2010 to 72 vehicles per 1000 persons in 2025 as against 187 for China, 221 for Brazil
and 388 for Russia. Vehicle market in India is expected to grow to 5 million units and
two wheeler market will become 29.5 million units in the year 2020. With rising income
and greater demand for mobility, the personalized mode of transport is likely to grow
rapidly in number and importance in the coming years. Proliferation of the personalized
mode of transport is likely to have serious implications in terms of traffic congestion,
parking, safety, energy inefficiency and pollution. Strategies need to be evolved to reduce
the ownership of personalized vehicles, promote public transport and other means of
user/urban friendly transportation, to reduce vehicular congestion on the urban roads.
Rapid increase in number of vehicles has not only led to overcrowding and congestion,
but has also made road travel in the Indian cities highly risky and unsafe for the road
users, with number of accidents going up rapidly. As per data available, in the year 1981
number of accidents recorded were 1.6 lakh, 3.9 lakh in 2001 whereas in the year 2019,
number of accidents went up to 4.8 lakh. However, during the said period, number of
road related causalities increased from 28,400 in the year 1981 , over 80,000 in 2001 and
1.51 lakh in 2019. Looking at the entire context, after every 55 second, India roads
witnessed an accident whereas every 3.5 minutes someone lost life in the road accident.
.Road accidents has emerged as one the major cause of deaths in the country. The
majority of causalities in terms of loss of life and injury were found to be among the
cyclists, pedestrians and pavement dwellers, showing the vulnerability of these classes of

road users. The transport related casualties are rapidly increasing in India making the
travel highly unsafe and travelers highly vulnerable.
The Indian transport sector is marked with high degree of mismatch between the number
of vehicles and available road capacity. The growth of vehicles and vehicular traffic has
been observed to be much faster as compared to growth of capacity and road network.
During 53 years (1951-2004), motor vehicle population recorded a CAGR growth close
to 10.9% compared to 3.6% increase in total road length with National Highways
recording merely an increase of 2.3%. This mismatch between vehicular growth and
road capacity has led to high degree of congestion and capacity saturation, resulting in
creation of numerous operational and environmental problems. However, with
government focusing on the rapid growth of infrastructure, momentum of road
construction has gained pace with length of national highways placed at 1,32,500 kms in
2019. Despite rapid increase in length of roads, urban India is still facing high degree of
congestion, due to large production and influx of vehicles on the urban roads. Due to
increasing vehicular congestion, motor vehicles are largely responsible for generating
greenhouse gasses in terms of CO2 , promoting global warming on a large scale. As per
recent study, cities produce 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely from energy
consumption by transportation and buildings. Thus, if we have to decarbonize the cities
and make them eco-friendly, energy efficient and environmentally sustainable, we have
to create innovative and state of art options for effective , efficient and eco-friendly
urban transportation besides making buildings green.
Looking at the existing patterns of movement in urban areas, it can be clearly observed
that Indian urban transportation scenario is largely dictated by road transportation; ever
increasing individual vehicle ownership; low road capacity; poor road geometry; high
degree of fuel inefficiency; large obsolete vehicular population; heterogeneous traffic;
inefficient and inadequate public transportation; high degree of environmental pollution;
low priority for traffic planning; poor traffic management; large mismatch between
vehicle density and road capacity; absence of unified traffic regulatory authority; high
rates of accidents etc. These peculiarities of urban transportation require innovative
strategies to be put in place to address effectively the transportation issues and make
urban transportation promoters of economic growth and urban productivity besides
generator of environmental sustainability in the urban context. Adopting strategies and
options based on shifting daily commute from cars to sustainable transport modes – like
public transport, walking, and bicycling – incorporating physical activity into everyday
commuting; can help improving, not only the health of residents and communities
living in cities but also can usher an era of happiness in cities. Studies have found that if
cities adopt mixed- land use for urban planning , promote mass transportation for urban
mobility , and make city pedestrian friendly; the risk of obesity for its inhabitants and
problems of congestion, mobility and pollution can be reduced to a large extent (Fischer).

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
The term sustainable transport had its origin and genesis , as a logical and natural
corollary of the concept of sustainable development. Term sustainable transportation is
invariably used to describe and define, modes of transport, and systems of transport
planning, which are consistent with and supportive of the wider concerns
of sustainability. There exist numerous definitions of the sustainable transport, and
related terms sustainable transportation and sustainable mobility. However, European
Union Council of Ministers of Transport, has defined sustainable transportation system
in the most appropriate manner; as, the one that:
 Allows the basic access and development needs of
individuals, companies and society to be met with
safely and in a manner consistent with human
and ecosystem health, and promotes equity within
and between successive generations.
 Is affordable, operates fairly and efficiently, offers
a choice of transport mode, and supports
a competitive economy, as well as balanced
regional development.
 Limits emissions and waste within the planet's
ability to absorb them, uses renewable
resources at or below their rates of generation,
and uses non-renewable resources at or below the
rates of development of renewable substitutes,
while minimizing the impact on the use of
land and the generation of noise.
Sustainability, in the larger context, is not only limited to movement of goods and
services but also extends beyond the operational efficiency involving life-cycle
assessment and cradle-to-cradle design emission and energy efficiency. (Wikipedia)
STRATEGIES
Considering large number of emerging threats and challenges posed, due to rapid and
massive urbanization; large influx of vehicles on the urban roads; limitations imposed by
lack of availability of adequate road and parking space; inefficient land market; low
priority accorded to transport planning; lack of availability of adequate resources etc.,
urban transportation in India needs immediate review and rationalization. Strategies for
rationalizing would have to be an innovative, combination and rational mix of
preventive, curative and innovative options. It has to be based on a mix of both hard
(infrastructure) and soft (planning) options. The strategies for traffic rationalization and
management, in urban sector should essentially and logically , revolve around and focus
on:
o Minimizing travel demand
o Minimizing trip length.
o Minimizing mechanized movement.

o Minimizing pollution.
o Minimizing number of vehicles on roads.
o Minimizing congestion.
o Creating multiple options for travel.
o Shifting people from individual vehicles to public transport.
o Promoting safe, comfortable and affordable travel
o Promoting sustainable transportation.
To achieve the above objectives, the options available would be:
o Redefining Urban Planning.
o Changing options for transport planning
o Planning for people and not for vehicles
o Promoting accessibility and minimizing mobility
o Redefining shape and size of cities
o Making cities compact
o Reordering priorities of modes of travel .
o Promoting pedestrianization.
o Promoting bicycles
o Making public transport more efficient.
o Equitable allocation of road space.
o Integrating public transport system
o Traffic Calming
o Road Pricing
o Promoting sustainable urban transport.
o Promoting innovations through R&D
o Leveraging state of art technologies
o Creating unified traffic and transportation Authority
o Involving communities
o Educating communities
Redefining Urban Planning
Transportation has been considered essentially as the product of the land use planning
and accordingly it becomes critical that land use planning is carried out in a manner,
which generates minimum traffic and minimum travel.It should also minimize the travel
demand and reduce the trip length. Master Plans, which primarily define the urban land
uses, should be used for integrating the land use and transportation. Considering the
present chaotic urban transport scenario, options and patterns used for working out land
use planning in the master plans need to be reviewed, revised and redefined with new
options put in place to make urban mobility more effective and efficient. In this regard
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has been found to be of immense value in order to
rationalize and reduce travel and to promote highly efficient living-working relationship
in urban areas. In this pattern, a dedicated strip is reserved for high density development
along the major transport corridors, where compatible land uses are permitted in terms of

commercial, residential, institutional and other areas. Activities generating maximum
volume of traffic are accordingly placed along the major transport arteries in order to
facilitate/minimize travel.
In addition, Pure- land-use planning, which segregates the cities and put different human
activities in defined containers in different parts of the city, has been observed to promote
increased travel demand in cities, making people travel longer distances for living,
working and approaching education and healthcare facilities. Accordingly, pure land use
planning should be avoided. Mixed land use planning offers better options of providing
majority of facilities in close vicinity, cutting down on the travel needs of the
communities and making them self-contained and self-sufficient in basic needs.
Further in order to rationalize the travel, it would be critical to make transport planning
integral part of the urban land use planning. In fact, entire land use planning should be
based on the transport planning, if travel demands are to be rationalized. Transport plans
should enable a city to evolve an urban form that suits the topography and best supports
the key social and economic activities of the residents. Making transport plans integral
part of land use plans/planning, would help in rationalizing the transportation within the
urban centres. If future growth and development of any city is dictated and led by a pre-
planned traffic network (rather than developing a transport system after uncontrolled
urban sprawl has taken place), the city has better chance/sopportunities of serving its
entire population and yet minimizing travel needs. Thus, the intent, content and approach
to prepare master plans for urban areas need to be re-defined in order to make master
plans supporters and promoters of rational transportation options. Master plans should
also invariably address the issue of regional connectivity in order to rationalize both inter
and intra-city traffic and save cities from the traffic blues.

Redefining shape and size of the city.
Travel in a city is closely linked to shape and size of the urban centre. It has been
observed that there are shapes which promote larger travel and larger traffic, whereas
there exist other shapes which minimize road network and make city more travel
friendly. Accordingly, in order to rationalize the travel demand, it will be critical to look
at the shape and size adopted for the city. Grid iron pattern should invariably be avoided
because it promotes more travel and is highly unsuitable for an efficient mass
transportation system .City of Chandigarh, known for its planned development, is facing
major problems of traffic and transportation which has its genesis in the grid iron road
pattern which has been used for its planning. However, wherever grid-iron pattern of road
is used, it must be supplemented by a system of diagonal roads across the city, to cut
down/shorten the distances within the city. Ring and radial road pattern offer better
options for reducing travel demand. Inherent advantages of Linear Cities can also be
thoughtfully explored for effectively managing the travel demand. Accordingly, while
preparing the development plans/master plans, it would be important to look at the shape
of the city being adopted to rationalize the traffic and transportation.
In addition, size of the city would also be critical. Larger the city, larger would be the
trip length; accordingly, cities must be made small and compact in order to reduce travel
demand and promote energy efficiency. Small and medium cities offer better and simpler
options of managing the traffic and transportation within urban centers as compared to
metropolitan centers. In case of larger cities, options of decentralization could be used to
create self-contained communities for minimizing travel. Chengdu . a westernmost city of
China, is following a new concept of city planning in which 80,000 residents will be
living and working in a circle of half-square mile, where any location will not be more
than 15 minutes’ walk. City has been designed to be a pedestrian city supported by
efficient public transport system.

Making Cities Compact
Reducing travel and traffic within urban areas would largely depend upon the extent and
footprints of the city. Low density and large sized plots invariably lead to poor utilization
of land and increase the footprints of the city. Increased footprints result in increasing
distances between different corners of the city which makes people travel more. In order
to reduce and rationalize the travel, it will be important to look at the density pattern
adopted for the city. Promoting higher residential densities will make the city more
compact by housing large number of people within a small area. This pattern
automatically reduces travel distances and promotes non-mechanized vehicles for
commuting. Higher densities would involve; reducing plot sizes and changing pattern of
city planning. It will also involve prescribing higher Floor Area Ratio and larger heights
for buildings in order to create larger volume of built up area and optimum utilization of
land, housing more people and activities in a smaller area. Promoting group housing
instead of plotted development also helps in better utilization of land resource creating
more dwelling units in the same area making cities more compact besides avoiding the
land speculation. Higher densities not only reduce the travel needs but also the cost of
services.
It is not only new cities to be developed which can be made more compact , existing
cities also offer enormous opportunities of re-densification, provided their densities are
re-defined and rationalized, with a proper policy framework put in place and
appropriately supported by the additional infrastructure and services. Singapore increased
the capacity of the city by scientifically identifying the plots which were underutilized
and encouraged owners to promote high density development. New- York city
encouraged refurbishment of existing housing units by either dividing larger plots into
smaller units or adding studio apartments on the rooftops to create additional living
space. Creating high density communities offer a distinct option for making cities
compact, reduce mobility, improving environment, promoting better utilization of
resources and allowing people to walk rather than use cars.
Re-ordering prioritization of travel modes.
Travelling options exercised by people have also led to creating traffic blues in the urban
areas. Globally, it has been seen that passenger cars have dominated the travel preference
and are responsible for 75% of passenger kilometers travelled whereas the average
vehicle occupancy is close to one. Less than 10% passenger trips are performed by the
public transport which has the highest carrying capacity. Walking and cycling is fast
decreasing in cities. Less than 5% of passenger trips are being made by bicycle. Indian
transportation scenario is no different. Major problem facing the Indian transportation is
the highest priority being accorded to personalized vehicles, which occupy maximum
available road space, have very low load capacity and cause maximum congestion and
pollution. Accordingly, for rationalization transportation needs and travel demand, we
have to reorder our planning priorities in city planning. Transport Planning must focus

on and adopt the principle of people for people and not for vehicles. In addition, it
should promote accessibility and not mobility. Accordingly, cities should be planned
with highest preference/ priority given to pedestrians to be followed by cyclists. Public
transportation should be accorded third priority whereas personalized vehicles should
have the least priority. If the plans are prepared with this hierarchy, cities will have better
options/chances of rationalizing its traffic demand and creating sustainable transportation.
This would also help in making cities more eco-friendly besides least consumers of
energy.
Promoting Pedestrianization
Despite the fact that pedestrian traffic constitutes considerable proportion of the city
traffic, still it has the lowest priority in the transport planning. Accordingly, it will be
critical that pedestrian traffic is appropriately catered to in the planning process in order
to promote pedestrianization on a large scale. The most popular measure to attract
people in urban areas to adopt walking, as the preferred mode of travel for shorter
distances, would be, the creation of well-defined pedestrian zones and dedicated
pedestrian ways. Most of the central crowded areas, having high degree of traffic
congestion/limited road space, offer best option for creating such zones. Core areas and
walled cities need to be pedestrianized with appropriate planning and design options.
Vehicles in the core areas could be discouraged by introducing metered parking with high
parking charges prescribed. However, these areas need to be linked with an effective and
efficient public transport system for providing high degree of accessibility. Pedestrian
zone is the best option for improving the travel conditions and promoting safety for
pedestrians in urban areas .Further, linking the major nodes of the city with efficient
public transport and planning for pedestrians will help in rationalizing the traffic in the
city. In addition, walking has enormous health related advantages. Besides promoting
sustainability and livability in cities and towns, walking is known to help individuals in
terms of reduced body fat, reduced obesity and lower blood pressure. It may also take
less time than one thinks to reach your destination. Studies have shown that most people

underestimate time taken, related to car journeys and overestimate the time it will take to
walk. The average walking pace is six kilometers per hour and if one walks, there is no
need to find a car bay on arrival. In Paris 53% of trips are made by walking, 3% by
bicycle, 34% by public transport, and only 10% by car; and Ile-de-France region, where
walking remains the most popular way of transportation and in Amsterdam, where 28%
of trips are made by walking, 31% by bicycle, 18% by public transport and only 23% by
car. Unless inconvenient, walking creates win-win situation for the individuals ,
communities, cities, climate and environment
Promoting Bi-Cycle Traffic
After pedestrianization, most preferred mode of travel should be bicycle. Besides being
economical, flexible and environment friendly, bicycles are essentially zero emission
vehicles (ZEV). In addition, cycling is also recognized as one of the healthiest transport
mode for travelling short distances. Despite having distinct advantages, bicycles have
been neglected, by both transport planners and communities, as least preferred mode of
transportation. Its enormous potential remains unexplored. As per the data available,
cycling still has the largest share of urban transport, not only in India but even in
developed countries. In China highest priority is given to bicycles by creating express
cycle-ways and creating exclusive lanes dedicated to the cycle traffic. Cycle lanes form
integral part of city road network including the major arterial roads, in order to facilitate
safe movement of bicycles in the urban centres. Majority of car trips of less than 5 kms
can be conveniently made by bicycles, which can go a long way in reducing traffic
problems in the urban areas. Most of the developed countries are now promoting use of
bi-cycles for shorter trips and trips undertaken for education and shopping. However, in
order to promote bi-cycle it would require the creation of dense network of bi-cycle
lanes in cities including, all the major road network; creating a ring road around the most
congested areas; preferential positioning of cyclist at the crossing and junctions;
declaring certain roads as bicycle street; allowing cycling in pedestrian zones; creating
bicycle stations; supervised parking lots; integrating cycling with other systems of
transportation and connecting with important destinations including; schools, offices,
industries, leisure etc. Copenhagen city is known for its bicycling culture and supporting
infrastructure. Over the years ,city has created 388 kms of cycling routes catering to 50%
of the city trips. In order to make city bi-cycle friendly, Copenhagen is putting in place a
unique traffic system by the name, Green Wave ,which would ensure that cyclists will
never encounter a red light during travel. Corbusier, in the planning of Chandigarh
redefined the system of 7Vs to include 8bc for catering to two wheelers traffic , peculiar
to the new city. However, the same was not been put in place and Chandigarh is suffering
from major traffic problems. However, under smart city mission, dedicated cycle lanes
have been added in the city.
Promoting bicycle traffic would require launching public campaigns on regular basis to
involve communities and people to use bicycles. However, technology related to cycle
would also require upgradation on regular basis besides making cycle affordable and
efficient. Despite all limitations, bi-cycle offers the best option, as cost-effective non-
polluting, safe and energy efficient mode of urban transportation, occupying minimum

road/public space to solve majority of urban traffic ills. Cycling like walking, also makes
users happy and healthy besides decarbonizing the city. It is said that switching, from
car to bi-cycle, a weekly ten kilometer journey, will help burn 300 calories of energy
each way, besides saving 300 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, on annual basis. In
addition, peak hours trip, up to 10 kms, can be performed faster by bike, as compared to
other means of transport ,when measured door to door, taking a time span of 15-30
minutes.
Making Public Transport more efficient
Public transport holds the key to rationalization of traffic demand in the metropolises and
mega cities. However, despite enormous potential, public transport remains largely a
neglected area and least preferred mode of transportation. Unfortunately, in India public
transport has been considered a mode of travel largely used by poor or who do not own
any vehicles. This has led to keeping the fares, low, leading to large resources going as
subsidy to keep the system going. This approach needs rationalization and re-look. Low
allocation of resources has been one of the major factors for perpetual neglect of public
transport in the urban areas. Vesting power with the local authorities to run the public
transport has emerged as the major bottleneck in its rational growth due to lack of
knowledge, understanding and expertise besides availability of adequate manpower,
technical and financial resources.
Making public transport a preferred mode of travel would require re-definition of the
entire gamut/approach and framework of public transportation including its planning,
operation and management. Promoting public transport would require putting in place
higher frequencies; improved regularity; better safety; higher comfort; more effective
communication with users; provision of new buses/trains/LRT systems besides
competitive and easily comprehensible fare levels; dedicated right of way; prioritization
at traffic lights and integration with other modes of traffic etc. Identification of potential
corridors for mass transportation would help in rationalizing the traffic demand in urban
centres. Use of eco-friendly mass transportation vehicles using non-polluting fuels
(CNG) can usher a new era of sustainable transport in the urban centres , making them

free from major problems of vehicular pollution. In addition to providing an efficient,
effective, affordable and cost- effective means of transportation, public transport has been
found to be highly effective in reducing road congestion and air pollution and
accordingly requires higher priority. Considering different categories of clients, different
travel options must be offered to divert people using cars/two wheelers to public
transport. Promoting public transport on large scale would also involve creation of state
of art infrastructure including improved bus stations/terminals; improved passenger
information system; use of intelligent transport systems for monitoring and control;
affordable ticket pricing; e-ticketing; using single ticket for all modes of travel making
any number of changes; carrying out maintenance during the night and introducing
comfortable buses (air conditioned buses) etc.
Study recently made by Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), has revealed that Delhi
Metro, having daily ridership of 27 lakhs, has helped in replacing 3.9 lakh vehicles off
the Delhi roads in 2014 besides saving Rs 10,364 crores in terms of fuel, pollution and
passenger’s time. In absolute terms, the annual reduction in fuel consumption has been
recorded at 2.76 lakh tonnes, as against the corresponding figures of the year 2011,
besides bringing down the travel time of commuters by 32 minutes. In addition to
promoting operational efficiency and making Delhi cleaner and green, study furthers
states that metro has made the city safer by reducing the number of fatal accidents.
Ahmadabad BRTS has already demonstrated its strength in solving the traffic problems
of the metropolis. Delhi metro has already achieved the mark of moving 2.7 million
passengers in a single day and is now gearing to reach 6 million mark, when all the
phases will be completed. Mumbai sub-urban trains have proved to be lifeline of the city
to keep it running even in all adverse conditions. To effectively solve the problems of
traffic, Copenhagen has developed world class public transport system from where all
residents will be living within a distance of 400 metres to minimize use of private cars,to
promote public transport. City of Chicago is also extending its suburban railway network
to ensure that 75% of the city residents should have houses within a walking distance by
2040, under ‘Go to 2040’ plan to rationalize travel within the city.

Electric vehicle technology holds enormous potential to reduce transport CO2 emissions,
depending on the embodied energy of the vehicle and the source of the
electricity. Sourcing energy from non-conventional sources or using batteries , can help
achieve the objective of low carbon emissions by such vehicles. In countries, with a
significant share of coal in their electricity production, adaptation of electric vehicles has
only a limited climate benefit. The climate benefits vary substantially and depend on the
vehicle size, electricity emissions, driving patterns, and even the weather.Nissan LEAF,
electric car in UK, having two batteries and advanced technologies (in 2019 ), produced
one third of the greenhouse gases than the average internal combustion car. Electrical Bus
has proved the efficacy and efficiency of electrical vehicles to make the urban transport
sustainable. Thus, public transport has enormous potential, which needs to be carefully
and thoughtfully exploited, explored and managed, to solve majority of the traffic
problems of urban areas.
Equitable Allocation of Road Space
Indian transportation scenario is distinctly marked with multiplicity of vehicles
occupying , sharing and competing for the common road space. In the absence of any
clear allocations, road space occupation is largely governed by first come first serve
basis. With focus on vehicles, majority of road space is being occupied by personalized
vehicles that outnumber the other vehicles. This leads to high degree of congestion
because of low capacity of these vehicles and squeezing of other vehicles out of the road
space. Bus carrying more than 50 people, requiring merely 2.5 times the road space that
is occupied by a car carrying 2-3 people, has very limited space available to move on
urban roads. Disproportionate space allocation has invariably led to higher travel times
and imposing higher travel cost. Majority of the people suffering from this paradigm
belong to lower income groups.
The existing trend needs to be rationalized and an appropriate mechanism of rational
allocation of road space needs to be immediately put in place. The focus of the road space
allocation has to be based on equity and the carrying capacity of the vehicles in order to
rationalize the traffic and minimize the congestion. It has to be redefined with focus
shifting from being vehicle centric to the people centric. Vehicles carrying large
commuters should be allocated more space in order to ensure their speedier movement.
Further based on equity, all the modes of transportation should be given priority in terms
of their carrying capacity. This objective can be achieved by reserving lanes and corridors
exclusively for public transport, non- motorized modes of travel, high occupancy vehicle
lanes, pedestrians and bicycles, depending upon their share in the overall traffic.
However, preferential allocation to public transport and cyclists will help in diverting
more traffic to these modes from personalized vehicles; leading to higher degree of
operational efficiency and better capacity utilization of existing road network besides
promoting sustainable transportation. Many cities in the world have used, successfully
and effectively , the mechanism of reserving stretches of roads exclusively for the use of
public transport to reduce congestion, air pollution and improving efficiency of rapid bus
transit system. Istanbul dedicated 42 kms of existing road lanes for the newly introduced

Bus Rapid Transit System. This helped in two fold increase in speed of buses as
compared to other vehicles. With buses arriving at 30-45 second interval providing
continuous service, city was able to effectively and efficiently move 6,20,000 passengers
a day.
Traffic Calming
Traffic Calming is another concept being followed in developed countries to minimize
the hazards of traffic, promote quality of life in urban centres and eliminate
environmental pollution. Major elements involved in the concept are redesigning of
streets and roads for a reduced vehicular speed not exceeding 30 kmph; giving priority to
public transport; promoting pedestrianization and bi-cycle traffic; enhancing the social
quality and vitality of cities; allocating large road space to vehicles other than
personalized mode of travel; creating large green areas as integral part of transportation
network; management of car traffic through routing, parking management, signaling etc. ;
surveillance and sanctions besides communication and participation by the public.
Feedback received from the communities, where the system was made operational, has
given distinct appreciation of the concept in terms of reduced noise & air pollution
besides promoting increased road safely and improved quality of life in all residential
areas.

Road Pricing
Road pricing is a new concept which has been used effectively to rationalize traffic,
minimize congestion , promote public transport , minimize use of personalized modes of
travel, safeguard environment, reduce pollution and generate resources. Singapore has
used the road pricing mechanism effectively to tackle the problem of congestion on city
roads. It has put in place a, ‘Unique Electronic Road Pricing System’, which makes road
users to pay a variable congestion charge, according to the prevailing traffic conditions
and distance travelled. It not only generates revenue for the city government but also
encourages drivers to take less congested roads. Levy of charges has discouraged use of
personalized cars , promoted preference for carpooling and use of public transport. The
system generated a revenue of $ 125 million in 2010
Creating Unified Transport Authority
Indian transportation scenario at the local level is distinguished by existence of
multiplicity of authorities with overlapping areas of operations in large urban centres and
absence of such agencies in the smaller towns. Both have led to a scenario which is
highly chaotic. Available agencies, where created, lack in capacity, competency,
expertise and requite manpower to study , analyze , plan , develop and manage the entire
gamut of inter and intra-city traffic, with the result urban transport is being managed by
proxy. This calls for creating a dedicated and unified agency for managing traffic and
transportation at the state and local levels, in order to holistically address the problems,
issues and traffic blues. The agency must be equipped with appropriate level of
manpower, having in-depth and adequate knowledge and experience of peculiarities of
urban traffic and provide solutions to solve them. Research and Development should be
made integral part traffic planning, in order to bring innovations in traffic management.
Involving Technologies
Technology can play major role in rationalizing and planning the urban traffic.
Unfortunately potential of technology has been used to a limited extent in India to

manage traffic. In developed countries technology has been extensively leveraged for
monitoring, planning and designing the transportation policies, and programs and their
implementation. In addition, it has been used effectively to monitor the traffic
conditions prevailing in the city and its various parts , to minimize the problems of
congestion and to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Use of IT has also helped in generating
valuable data for framing realistic and rational short and long term policies and
programs, based on ground realities. Many countries have used cameras at intersections
to optimize the traffic lights and cut transit time while reducing air pollution and cost of
tackling it. In London, transport operator, ‘Transport for London’ has shared its data to
encourage the development of service oriented apps such as ,Bus I T London’, which
suggests best bus route for any journey in the city depending upon users location. Road
Pricing mechanism evolved by Singapore has its genesis in the I T technology. Thus IT
needs to be extensively and innovatively used in rationalizing , planning and managing
urban traffic
.
Recognizing and incentivizing Sustainable Transportation
Recognizing and incentivizing all good practices which lead to promoting sustainable
transportation, on the analogy followed by the Government of India, can help in faster
learning and putting in practices simple and cost-effective options for promoting
sustainable transport systems at the local level in various cities in the country. Such
awards try to showcase the options which can be exercised at the local level,
demonstrating the efficacy and efficiency of various components involved in
sustainable transportation. The award is given in recognition of putting in place simple,
cost-effective, user-friendly and efficient transport facilities at the local level in
various states and Union Territories of India. Recently, Ministry for Housing and Urban
Affairs, Government of India, has recognized and awarded city of Kochi in the state of
Kerala , for putting in place the most Sustainable Transport System. The award has
been given in recognition of the projects implemented including, Kochi Metro, Water
Metro (Water Connectivity with the same experience as metro) and E-mobility; to
enhance the transport facilities in the city of Kochi. The creation of the Kochi Open
Mobility Network, which digitized and integrated various transport facilities, also
helped to win the award
Evolving Good Practices
Considering the role and importance of sustainable transport in minimizing the global
warming, climate change, decarbonizing and reducing carbon footprints, international
agencies , cities and countries are trying to evolve appropriate strategies and finding
valid options to rationalize mobility and making travel supportive of the environment and
ecology besides minimizing pollution caused by use and burning of fossil fuel in the
transport sector. Various countries /cities are making transportation more sustainable in
both long-term and short-term, by using both positive and negative methods of traffic
planning, development and management involving;
 Ensuring that transport policies evolved , programs implemented and investments
made , help in preserving and promoting quality of life and supporting sustainable
development of communities , cities and nations on sustained basis.

 Putting in place appropriate legal framework to mandate transport agencies to
consider sustainability issues and climate change impacts, as integral part of transport
planning and operations,
 Recognizing the need to link sustainability and transport policies, by making cities
integral part of the global network- of- Climate Protection program
 Focusing on people, environment and climate, rather than on vehicles
 Promoting , ‘Avoid-Shift-Improve Approach’, through incentivizing behavioral
change.
 Changing options of travel, shifting people from using personalized mode of
transport to mass / public transportation, cycling, and walking
 Prohibiting using cars in well-defined zones to restrict the number of cars and
discourage people from using personal modes of travel.
 Reducing the number of vehicular trips to lower greenhouse gases emission.
 Improving public transport, through larger coverage of urban area in order to provide
more mobility and accessibility,
 Using new technologies to make public transportation more reliable, responsive,
comfortable, cost-effective, operationally efficient and safe.
 Encouraging walking and biking through the provision of wider pedestrian pathways,
bike share stations , locating parking lots far from the shopping center, limiting
on -street parking, creating slower traffic lane in central commercial area.
 Increasing the cost of car ownership and gas through increased parking fees, tolls and
taxes , encouraging people to drive more fuel efficient vehicles and using revenue
generated, for improving public transportation and empowering poor communities.
 Making sustainable transportation integral part of urban planning, development and
management processes and practices.
 Incentivizing pedestrianization, bi-cycling and public transportation by making cities
user friendly, on the analogy of Paris, Ile-de-France region, and Amsterdam , where
majority of trips are performed by walking, bi-cycling, public transportation and very
few by cars.
 Promoting integrated public transportation system , on the analogy followed by City
of Jakarta’, by creating longest bus rapid transit in the world, , reached a milestone of
serving one million passengers on daily basis, using a mechanism of dedicated lanes,
connecting with smaller vehicles, local buses, informal microbuses ,serving a larger
region not accessible otherwise, off- board fare collection, reliable, fast and frequent
operations, avoiding traffic congestion and long lines to pay fare
 Making sustainable transportation integral part of daily living and part of teaching
and learning for promoting a culture of cycling following the examples of cities like
Copenhagen where 62% of people commute to school or work by bicycle
 Leveraging decentralization, for creating self-contained and self-sufficient
communities/neighborhoods/cities within larger city.

 Included sustainability as a key consideration in transport and land use planning,
based on the examples of cities like Curitiba, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; Portland,
Oregon; and Vancouver, Canada.
 Creating green highways to minimize the impact of vehicular pollution and promote
sustainable transportation.
 Generating resources for promoting sustainable transportation through relying on
user’s pay; levying fuel taxes; capturing land values; improving capacity of cities to
generate resources; incentivizing private investment and leading by examples.
 Minimizing human loss of life by focusing on road accidents and transport induced
air pollution by making adequate provisions of road safety as mandated in the UN
decade of Action on Road Safety.
Conclusion
Transport is known to occupy centerstage in many prevailing environmental,
economic, physical and social developmental challenges, accounting for about 64%
of global oil consumption, 27% of all energy use, and 23% of the world’s energy-
related carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, more than 7 million people lost their
lives in the year 2019, due to traffic accidents and transport-induced air pollution, of
which share of developing countries has been placed at 92%. With number of
personalized vehicles recording highest growth and exhaust from cars and buses
emerging as the largest contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions & promoter of global
warming, it becomes critical that road transport, as a sector is focused more critically and
objectively, with efforts put in place and strategies evolved to make the road
transportation, more rational and sustainable.
Challenges posed by transportation sector remain both daunting and formidable. To
overcome these challenges, options would clearly hinge on and making urban transport,
environment/user friendly, cost-effective , efficient and sustainable. Sustainable urban
transport would essentially calls for; shifting the daily commute from cars to environment
friendly transport modes like public transport, walking, and bicycling; minimizing use of
personalized vehicles; promoting non- mechanized/ non-fuel based options for travel;
using public transport with large capacity run essentials on non-polluting fuels /electricity
; using state of art technologies to make vehicles zero-emission by using alternate eco-
friendly fuel; making cities more compact to limit the need of mechanized travel; using
land use planning to rationalize the travel pattern etc. It would also involve; use of
information technologies, as one of the key mechanisms, to reduce travel by using homes
as offices, schools, libraries etc. Using options of high density development for making
cities more compact can also be considered as a distinct option for minimizing travel
demand of the city. However, creating sustainable urban transport would require a multi-
pronged strategy, based on leveraging the advantages of all modes of travel, involving
communities and stakeholders besides actively involving professionals engaged in
urban/transport planning, development and management. Increased use of environment-
friendly public transport systems and halting of urban sprawl in cities can substantially
reduce emissions and make cities cleaner, greener and sustainable. Sustainable transport
can help save nations lot of resources and money, reduce environmental footprints, minimize

global warming & climate change and provide dividends in terms of improved individual
health , to make this world more heathy, happy, sustainable place to live and work.
Studies made and reports published by UNO, has concluded that, transportation remains
the major consumer of energy and generator of greenhouse gas emissions . Generating
close to a quarter of energy-related global greenhouse gas emissions, with emissions
projected to grow substantially and exponentially in the years to come, transport would
be playing critical role in making this world sustainable. Accordingly, transportation and
mobility have been reckoned to be central and critical to achieve sustainable
development, improve urban air quality and health, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Sustainable transportation has also been recognized for its capacity to
enhance economic growth and improve accessibility; achieve better integration of the
economy while respecting the environment, improving social equity, ensuring health and
resilience of cities, bonding urban-rural linkages and improving productivity of rural
areas.
High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST), set up in the year
2104 by the UN Secretary General, representing all modes of transport including road,
rail, aviation, marine, ferry, and urban public transport providers, has recommended the
need for prioritizing sustainable transport and mobility across the globe. Report states
that transport system has critical role to play in making cities and human settlements,
safe, resilient and sustainable and calls for strengthening efforts to provide access to safe,
affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all including children,
persons with disabilities , women and older people. It also places transport across several
sectors, especially those related to food security, health, energy and economic growth,
infrastructure,
Following the mandate given in the SDG11, calling for promoting an affordable and
sustainable transport, globally all nations must immediately come out with an agenda and

a vision based on carbon neutrality, on the pattern evolved by Hyundai Motor Company,
which approaches and makes a call to all stakeholders, ‘ To make commitment to realize
emissions-free mobility as a fundamental human right; doing the best things for humanity and
society to lead towards a better and sustainable future; proactively promoting a paradigm shift
towards electrification and creating a hydrogen based society for bringing sustainability.
Stakeholders in general and corporate sector in particular ,must be made more active when
responding to climate change, with a strong sense of responsibility and journey towards
sustainability must continue for the sake of humanity and generations to come. Nations must
move beyond mobility towards creating a sustainable future based on hydrogen fuel-cell
technology by adopting an integrated approach’.
Besides meeting the sustainable development goals, sustainable transport is known for its
distinct and numerous social and economic benefits for the communities, cities,
environment and ecology. Studies made and analysis carried out by Low Emission
Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP) has concluded that; Sustainable
transport can help create large number of jobs; improve commuter safety through
investment in bicycle lanes and pedestrian pathways; reduce use of fossil fuel on large
scale; minimize adverse balance of trade; minimize pollution and congestion, making
cities walkable; and spongy; saving cities from flooding; making access to employment
and social opportunities more affordable and efficient besides decarbonizing cities and
making urban settlements more livable and sustainable. Sustainable transportation also
offers a practical opportunity and simple method of saving people's time, improving
people’s health increasing household income and making cities great places for happy,
healthy and more productive living besides making investment in sustainable transport, a
'win-win' option and opportunity for all stake holders.’ Decabonising, Carbon Neutrality
and Zero-Carbon shall remain the agenda to redefine, promote and achieve the
sustainable transportation in urban areas and to achieve the mandate/goals given in
SDG11.

Bibliography:
 U N Habitat Report: State of World Cities-2008-09
 Mckinsey Global Institute; How to make a city great, Mckinsey Cities Special
Initiative
 Mckinsey Global Institute; Report on India Urban Awakening: Building Inclusive
Cities; 2010
 Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development; National
Urban Transport Policy
 Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development : Revised
Draft Concept Note on Smart Cities, October 14,2014
 Government of India, Planning Commission, October 2011: Faster, Sustainable
and More Inclusive Growth- An Approach to the Twelfth Five Year Plan
 Gupta J K : Promoting Sustainable Transportation-a published paper
 Fischer a; Seven ways to encourage sustainable commuting in your workplace; The
Fix City; World Resource Institute; October 7, 2014
 Hyundai Worldwide Global Navigation; Hyundai Motor Company’s Carbon
Neutrality Vision
 Wikipedia encyclopedia; Sustainable transport;
 UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group ;Sustainable Transport
Position Paper on Financing Sustainable Transport ; Addis Ababa; 13 July 2015,
 Gupta J K: Strategies for Planning Smart and Sustainable Cities; a published
paper
 Leila Mead; The Road to Sustainable Transport; May 24, 2021,
 Mordor Intelligence; Transportation Industry In India- Analysis of Growth
trends and Forecast (2020-2025)
 Trukky Blog; Road Vs. Rail Transport -Their Contribution To Indian Economy;
 Note’; All images are sourced through google.com, which are gratefully and
sincerely appreciated and acknowledged. They are used to illustration the text.
Author;
**Jit Kumar Gupta
Former Advisor, Town Planning Punjab Urban Development Authority
#344, Sector 40-A, Chandigarh-160036
mail- jit.kumar1944@gmail.com,

Planning for sustainable urban trasport

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