Sustainable Mobility Solution in India

Abstract

The pace of urbanization, population and wealth growth in India over the past decades has markedly affected people's mentality towards their mobility needs. India's transportation demand has grown almost eightfold since 1980 - more than any other Asian economy1. This strong growth has positive implications in many ways, including the development of the thriving auto industry and related economic growth. However, there are some challenges to overcome. One of the most important is the rapid increase in pollution. This ordeal resulted in significant physical and mental losses. In addition, major Indian cities are now consistently ranked among the most congested cities in the world. The average speed of vehicles in some major cities is reported to be 17 km/h2. This high level of congestion comes at a huge cost in the form of reduced productivity and wasted fuel. It should be noted that many efforts - at the city, state and national levels have been made to mitigate these challenges. For rural India, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is perhaps the best example. For Indian municipalities, to deal with the dual challenges of pollution and congestion, a number of initiatives have been launched. At the national level, several policies such as the National Urban Transport Policy and the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 have also been designed. While there are many examples of such initiatives, the size and complexity of our mobility challenges call for a comprehensive program of action that addresses the issue as a whole. Our high population density, growth and aspirations for economic growth justify a tailored approach that fits our context. Thus, there is a definite need to focus on the adoption of green practices and technologies such as electric vehicles and non-motorized transport (NMT). To improve the adoption of non-motorized transport, routes and paths need to be planned to seamlessly integrate with public transport. Finally, ensuring the safety of NMT users by defining standards and dedicated traffic lights should be a top priority. In addition, there is a need to explicitly promote cleaner technologies. This must be enabled by the evolution of the ecosystem including domestic production, deployment of charging infrastructure, etc. The goal is to reduce emissions globally from well to wheel and help people reach their destination as seamlessly as possible.