Connecting the Dots of Delhi’s Public Transport System

6th August 2019 By admin

A case for improving Delhi’s last-mile connectivity

Delhi—yeh sheher nahi, mehfil hai— a nostalgia bestowed upon Delhiites, from savouring the aromas of gully food, to being enchanted by the mehfil on old streets, and sometimes combined with a feeling of impending chaos. What happens when this chaos threatens the very existence of Delhi’s mehfil? Are we ready for ‘yeh Delhi sheher nahi, parking garage hai’?

As difficult it may be to let go of the age-old nostalgia of streets imagined as mehfils (gathering spaces for sharing poetry or classical music), the reality is that Delhi is clogged with cars! This is despite the city operating India’s “best-run mass rapid transit system” – the Delhi Metro. It’s vast network of over 340 kms helps 26 lakh people commute every day in the National Capital Region (NCR). While the system is classified as one of the largest in the world, it caters to less than 10 percent of NCR. Personal motor vehicles continue to rule the roost.

On the other hand, Delhi’s bus system is completely omitted from the public transport equation. Based on the existing demand and the burgeoning population, Delhi is short of over 6,000 buses – which means, Delhi needs to double its existing fleet strength. Efforts to bridge the gap in the supply of buses is the need of the hour. Lack of efficient public transport systems and the absence of last-mile connectivity has fuelled the insatious demand for personal motor vehicles. Let us now look at the issue of ‘last-mile’ connectivity.

Last-mile connectivity—how people actually get to and from the stations, particularly the Metro—has been a matter of concern among Delhi commuters. Issues surrounding the safety, convenience, and comfort to reach a station from a workplace or home, and vice-versa, has been the talk of the town for a few years now, yet neglected.

Privately run CNG autos, e-rickshaws, Gramin Sewa, and the Phat Phat Sewa have stepped in to provide last-mile connectivity, in the interim. While these systems have the stamp of legality by the State government and have managed to satisfy a portion of the mobility demand, they are largely unorganised and unregulated. The debate of whether they are a resource or a nuisance, continues.

Delhi is reported to have one lakh e-rickshaws, of which a mere 35,000 are registered, and over a lakh CNG autos. Filling the last-mile connectivity gap comes at a cost of traffic snarls and safety concerns among its citizens. Areas around metro stations have become the new choke points given the lack of integration with formal public transport, haphazard parking on main roads, and an overall lack of traffic and parking management.

*Traffic jam of autos outside metro station in Delhi (Credit: Aaj Ki Awaaz)*

It may be time for Delhi to shift focus from its archaic approach to connect the dots of its public transit system – bring home the mini-bus. When it comes to bus-based transit, let’s face it, this underdog of transit is by far one of the most efficient, affordable, and convenient modes of transport. Just one mini-bus can replace five rickshaws, or in other words, the bus can move more people in fewer vehicles in a compact amount of road space.

The mini-bus can provide the best option to improve last-mile connectivity. With better technology, services, and integration with the metro, the bus can unclog streets in Delhi, especially those around metro stations. So what does that mean for rickshaw drivers – are their livelihoods at risk? A successful transition should ensure that rickshaw drivers are formally employed into the system.

For Delhi to transition towards a people-friendly city rather than a personal motor vehicle garage, it needs to improve accessibility, affordability, and frequency of public transit as well. Cities like Pune have taken the initial steps of assessing public transit system gaps through the People Near Transit (PNT) tool, prepared with technical assistance from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India programme. Pune has endorsed the PNT tool to further improve its public transit reach to reduce dependency on personal motor vehicles – a similar issue that Delhi has been tackling for over a decade. Delhi can use the PNT tool to reshape its public transport to serve maximum and pollute minimum.

For far too long, cities have ignored what is arguably the most affordable and flexible public transit option, the humble mini-bus. In the name of last-mile connectivity, rickshaws have filled the gap and where unavailable, cars have taken over. In the case of Delhi, where the city can no longer afford to squeeze more cars onto its roads, the bus can provide mobility to the maximum number of people in a compact amount of road space. Delhi should champion a publicly-run mini-bus system to solve its last-mile connectivity woe; after all, a successful bus-system has never failed to move a city.

Written by Kashmira Dubash

Technical Direction: Vishnu Mohanakumar

To ensure people near transit, Pune needs to improve transit near people

22nd May 2019 By admin

In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, 96% of residents live within a 500m walkable distance of a bus network. But, as per Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) schedules, one-third of these residents don’t have access to buses which are available frequently – every five minutes. Therefore, a lowly 12% of the trips made in the region are via bus transit.

Though a five-minute wait seems ideal, this figure is an aggregation of areas with high bus availability and low ridership and of localities with low bus availability and high ridership.

This begs the question, what good are extensive transit systems which can’t ensure accessibility and high frequency. These are some of the key arguments the People near Transit (PNT) report, prepared by the ITDP India Programme, raises with regard to access to public transit and surging personal motor vehicle dependency in the Pune Metropolitan Region.

From time immemorial, cities have been built upon transit. Be it citadels built around trading routes to present-day cities with interwoven networks connecting residents to their place of work, education, leisure, etc. Hence, transit and accessibility to these systems remain central to the development of societies.

Indian cities have been growing at a tremendous scale. This growth poses many urban transportation challenges and though tottering, public transit has stood its ground as an indispensable public utility. But as the automobile industry’s clout grows, more motor vehicles, of various kinds, offer “freedom” at the cost of congested roads and choked cities.

Whereas, accessible, affordable, and frequent public transit offers a guarantee for mobility, which also furthers the economic and social mobilisation of citizens.

Basically, the PNT analysis measures how well a city provides transit access to its residents. The USP of the analysis is that it works on secondary sources to formulate the assessment. Quite handy for Indian cities, as most lack primary data on transport operations and functions.

To start off, PNT requires basic data like ward boundaries and their population to establish demand. Next, details regarding the routes, schedule, and station placements of various modes — such as bus and rail — help ascertain accessibility and frequency of these modes. These data points, in a digitised GIS format, find accessibility levels of public transit and identify gaps in the system.

In the last two decades, the Pune urban agglomeration, including Pimpri-Chinchwad, has witnessed a steep economic and population growth. The IT (information technology) boom orchestrated a massive migration to Pune city. This advent doubled its population, but it pales in comparison to the city’s vehicle population — which grew by 700% in the period.

Adding to the congestion is the issue of urban sprawl. A symptom of urbanisation, urban sprawl is when cities grow unplanned towards their peripheries. It is estimated to cost Indian cities close to $1.8 trillion per year by 2050. Presently in Pune, this outward sprawl forces 48% of its trips to be longer than 5km. And in situations where public transit isn’t readily accessible or frequent, many residents — of areas like Shivane, Pirangut, Wagholi, etc., — are forced to use two-wheelers to commute.

Many high-density areas like Dhanori, Kalyani Nagar, Warje-bypass, Pradhikaran, Talwade, etc., fall under the category of transit deserts. These are sections which do not have access to frequent transit — a public transit available every five minute — within a 500 m walking distance. Here’s where the “ideal five-minute wait-time for a bus” takes a hit, as accessibility (or lack thereof) to public transit trumps the former.

At the onset of this piece, we spoke about how mobility is key for the economic and social mobility of citizens. Now, interlay the situation of the lack of accessibility with the need of the people residing in transit deserts. There are breadwinners who struggle for hours in transit to reach work and back; caregivers whose daily regimes pivot around that one over-crowded bus and missing which throws the day into a chaotic convulsion of catching up; and then children whose means to education literally hangs on the footboards of these overcrowded buses.

In Pune region, work trips account for half of the total trips. As per the PNT report, only 62% of employment centers have access to frequent public transit. Key employment areas near Mundhwa and Bhekrai Nagar are transit deserts. While 40% of school-children don’t have access to frequent transit services to their schools.

Transit interventions best work when they take into account the needs of every citizen. Despite being capital-intensive, the much-anticipated Metro Rail project, running through the twin cities, will be accessible to only 10% of people within a 500m walking distance. Even with the Rainbow BRT (existing and upcoming), rapid transit is accessible to only 25% of people.

Now, with 23% of low-income sections not having access to frequent transit, investing in rapid transit projects with high-cost and low returns (or ridership) is a self-inflicted “catch-22”. Neither is the Metro accessible nor would it be affordable to a vast majority of the public. As for the BRT, the lack of fleet expansion and network limitations bottle up the system’s potential.

The PNT analysis has some concrete and well-versed answers to the twin cities’ dilemma of improving public transit that works to serve all. These are:

In sections with low access to public transit, specific corridors can be introduced to intersect high-density areas and high-frequency corridors. Subsequently, PMPML needs to rationalise routes to ensure accessibility to frequent buses is uniform across the board.
Running smaller feeder services, in transit-deprived sections, ensure residents have access to the PMPML bus network. By extension, it also helps curtail the dependence on personal motor vehicles.
BRT and PMPML high-frequency routes could potentially facilitate multi-modal integration by connecting to the Metro — hence improving the latters’ ridership. In fact, fare integration would ensure footfall as these transfers would be affordable.
Densification under transit-oriented development (TOD) will help more residents get access to existing corridors in the future.
Low density areas in TOD zone need local area plans (LAPs) to ‘infill’ them with densities. Similarly, high density areas in TOD zones need LAPs to improve street network and public spaces.
By adopting PNT as a tool in preparing and revising the development plan and identifying mass transit corridors, cities can ensure better integration of land use with transport needs for the future.

The PNT report provides a thorough glimpse into the current capacities of public transit operations in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. At the same time, the analysis can pave the way for interventions that can maximise the density of city layouts, accessibility, and frequency of public transit; while minimising urban sprawl, transit deserts. To conclude, PNT is an instrument for change that holds the potential to shape public transit that serves maximum and pollutes minimum.

Written by Rohit James

Edited by Kashmira Dubash

Understanding the BRT Standard and if Hubballi-Dharwad can strike Gold

17th April 2019 By admin

When the Hubballi-Dharwad bus-rapid transit system (HDBRTS) began its trial run in October 2018, it offered a great sense of relief and excitement to commuters in the twin cities. Another group which welcomed the launch was of transport experts and enthusiasts, who had been anticipating the launch with bated breaths.

The 22-km project, which extends high-quality transit services between Hubballi and Dharwad, saw a four-year delay due to various reasons. Now months after the system’s trial run, doubts are being slowly put to rest as the HDBRTS inches closer to the coveted ‘Gold’ ranking — conferred as per the BRT Standard.

The BRT Standard and why it matters

BRT systems help in the fight to reduce transport-sector emissions and offer affordable, comfortable and convenient transit to all. The BRT Standard, an expert-reviewed scorecard, was developed to create a common definition of BRT. Considered a magnum opus in BRT design, the Standard is an evaluation tool based on international best practices. It looks to ensure corridors can uniformly deliver world-class passenger experiences.

Start with the Basics

As cities rush to develop bus-based rapid transit systems, many remain unaware of the characteristics of BRT corridors and how it can match metro systems. Hence, it is essential to get the basics right and then add features to improve the system’s high-quality. Here are the five basics that are fundamentals to a BRT system:

Dedicated right-of-way – A dedicated right-of-way ensures buses can move quickly and unimpeded by congestion.
Busway alignment – The busway is best located in the central section of the carriageway where conflicts with other traffic is minimal, especially from turning vehicles, on-street parking, property entrances, street vendors, etc.
Off-board fare collection – Off-board fare collection improves reliability and reduces dwell time at station. The system can employ either ‘barrier-controlled’ or ‘proof of payment’ to collect fares.
Intersection treatments – Since free-flowing bus movement is essential, intersection priority is a must. Improved signal phasing for the bus-only lanes ensures better bus movements.
Platform-level boarding – Having the bus station platform level with the bus floor is key in reducing boarding and alighting times per passenger. It even ensures accessibility for all.

Beyond Basics: how BRTs can strike gold

The BRT Standard establishes best practices and features cities and systems which are exemplary in bus-rapid transit. The intention is to guide other cities and help them create their own identity and push the standards. So how does a city set the benchmark beyond just creating a basic BRT system? Here are supplemental elements which can help set a mark:

Service matters, a lot

Like any service system, what matters the most is the BRT system’s ability to serve people. Hence, factors evaluated are based on how well it meets the demand, efficiency of service, and the extensive coverage it offers. Passengers can be served best when the system offers multiple routes within and beyond the corridor(s); has in place services such as express and limited stops; creates control center(s) to ensure smooth sailing; serves high-demand areas; and has extended hours of operations.

Infrastructure which last longer, ensure sustainability

At the heart of it, BRT networks are infrastructure development projects which are weighed by how they stand the test of time. Add to it, operational efficacy and sustainability. BRT systems which look to improve mobility and decrease carbon footing use buses with minimised emissions; build smart infrastructure such as median stations to serve buses on either side and overtaking lanes to reduce dwell time and emission at stations; build and maintain roads which have extended lifespan.

Stations, where comfort meets efficiency

Comfort, safety and efficiency ensure rapid transit systems (BRT included) are in high demand among the public. Stations can guarantee safety with well-lit, transparent structures with additional measures such as sliding doors and also being wide enough to accommodate passengers. The same goes for buses, with the addition of providing more doors to ease boarding and deboarding.

*Seating sections in* *Pune’s* *Rainbow BRT ensure a comfortable dwell time*

Communication for a seamless experience

Studies show that customer satisfaction is linked to knowing when the next bus will arrive. Giving customers information, through passenger information systems (PIS), is critical to a high quality of service and a positive overall experience. That along with branding enables more footfall and awareness of the facilities and the system’s capabilities. A BRT system which has its communication game on board would have more passengers aboard.

*The Guangzhou BRT, China, has real-time passenger information systems*
Source: ITDP Flickr

Complete BRT’s offer universal access, transit integration

The most important factor of a public transit system is universal accessibility. And then how it furthers that experience by way of integration with other sustainable transit means. BRT systems must complement universal access with integration to pedestrian and cycle infrastructure and other rapid transit forms.

*Pedestrian crossing at the Guangzhou BRT in China*
Source: ITDP Flickr

Why Hubbali-Dharward BRT is making the right noise

Though Indian BRT networks have not fared as well as their international counterparts, the system has a chance at redemption with the Hubballi-Dharwad BRT. Still on a trial run, HDBRTS has been working its way across the twin cities and through people’s travel needs in a phased manner.

Getting the basics right

The project includes segregated bus ways with stations in the median; accessible and comfortable bus stations with level boarding and external ticketing by way of automated fare gates, smart card, and QR code; two kinds of control centres, one which monitors the operations and the other for traffic management to ensure intersection priority.

Expansion through integration a priority

The system’s initial priority is to ensure route rationalisation. They aim to achieve this by creating a strong network of feeder and trunk bus services. In fact, every bus plying in tandem with the system will be GPS-fitted, to provide real-time information that extends beyond the system and eases integration.

Hit the ground running

Within six months of the trial run, HDBRTS is recording footfalls of around 70,000 passengers daily with 100 operational buses – operating till midnight. This figure is only bound to increase as the full strength of the system is reported to be 400 air-conditioned buses.

*HDBRTS is recording 70,000 passengers during its trial run phase*

These factors along with the high-quality pedestrian infrastructure and universal accessibility are putting the HDBRTS on the world map. It even makes sense for other fast-growing Indian cities to draw inspiration from and use the BRT system to tackle their transit demands. It makes the case that though the system hasn’t succeeded as expected in India, there is enough cause and reason to tweak it to the BRT Standard.

To get more information on the ITDP BRT Standard, please click here.

Written by : Rohit James

Edited by : Kashmira Medhora Dubash

Far from global standards, here’s what went wrong with Delhi BRT

9th April 2019 By admin

Ferrying over 35 million passengers daily in cities across the world, the bus-rapid transit (BRT) system has proven to be the balm for urban commute woes. Yet, its mention in the Indian transport circles evokes a lingering hangover of the system’s massive failure in Delhi.

Why Delhi chose to go the BRT way

By 2004, the Delhi population was caught in the upswing of urban migration and public transport woes — with the “Killer Blueline” buses on a rampage. It was also when experts had assembled to conceive the Delhi BRT system. A high-quality bus-based transit system, it aimed to deliver fast, comfortable, and affordable services at metro-level capacities.

Worldover successful BRT systems were set up with segregated lanes, stations typically aligned to the center of the road, off-board fare collection, and fast and frequent operations. The Delhi BRT network, however, met some but overlooked most of these benchmarks. This disregard and ensuing public outcry led to its failure and demise.

Here’s a look at what went wrong and why the discourse surrounding the Delhi BRT needs a tone check.

Losing face: media and public outcry

One of the point of contention against the Delhi BRT, among Delhi commuters, was the soaring travel time. But it was found that commute hours for BRT users saw a significant drop of 40%. The project affected motorists and it is these voices that rang louder in echo chambers created by media outlets.

This was followed by court cases which sought entry of cars to the bus-only lanes, contesting the value of “wealth creators” with that of bus users. In 2012, the Delhi High Court quashed the plea, quoting Bogota Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, “A developed country is not one where the poor own cars. It is one where the rich use public transport.”

The verdict wasn’t enough to calm the clamour for scrapping the initiative. The case offered insight to how misinformed media reports were able to pushback on a “basic” BRT setup, while throttling bus transit.

From BRT bus-only lane to free-for-all lane

To begin with, there were never dedicated BRT buses for the BRT bus lanes. So low-floor buses were brought in haphazardly to fill in this void. After resolving the initial confusion regarding the operation of the lanes, they were thrown open to buses of all sizes, utility, and forms. This led to congestion and bus bunching, as many of these poorly maintained buses would either breakdown or stall the low-floor “BRT buses”.

Even so, the Delhi BRT managed to carry 12,000 passengers per hour per direction, albeit at a grinding speed of 13 km/hr. An indication that the transit system was doing its job but lane congestion was clearly hindering its performance.

Commuters struggled without level boarding

One of the key USP of BRT transit is accessibility to all commuters — especially children, caregivers, the elderly, and the disabled. And the Delhi BRT missed the mark as it overlooked level boarding. Therefore, the network witnessed commuters struggling to board or alight buses.

Simply put, level boarding requires the bus station platforms and the floors of the bus fleet designed to match their height. This allows seamless movement and accessibility to commuters. In Delhi’s case the lack of dedicated BRT buses exacerbated the problem.

Anything but free-flowing

What does a city get when it builds an entire transport network on the premise of free-flowing transit, but ignores the free-flowing bit. The Delhi BRT it is! The system which was dedicated to prioritise and facilitate bus movement did anything but that.

With six-phase intersections, traffic management along the 6 km stretch was never worked out to improve bus movement. And this failure was evident as junctions lay witnessed to buses piling up by the dozen and commuters caught in the chaos of boarding or deboarding on the carriageways itself.

Stepchild treatment: Delhi Metro over BRT

Among Delhi BRT critics an analysis would sound incomplete without drawing comparison with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). A world-renowned and efficient transit system, the Delhi Metro has been catering to the needs of many a daily passengers. How many you ask? Around 23 lakh in 2019. Now, compare that to Delhi’s 40 lakh bus ridership — which has been wavering off-late given its state of neglect — and investing in a bus-based transit system seems a plausible move.

The Delhi Metro is doing a good job because of the autonomy and funding it receives. Whereas in Delhi BRT’s case, there wasn’t even a unified body to overlook the gamut of functions. This led to various obstacles, the most evident being lane enforcement. The BRT lanes were pretty much a free-for-all, with private vehicles and buses of all kinds fighting out in the meleè.

Now, let’s look at the disparity in cost. The 6 km Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand (Delhi) BRT stretch, which included the BRT and walking and cycling infrastructure, cost about Rs 200 crore to build and a further Rs 150 crore to dismantle the bus lane. While the metro rail costs the exchequer Rs 550 crore per km for underground and Rs 250 crore per km for the elevated line.

Limited scope for a limited corridor

Planned as a four-corridor project, the Delhi BRT was caught in a limbo pretty early on. The initial 18 km stretch, from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate, was launched on a trial run of 5.8 km on April 2008. And that’s all that was left of it when the system was dismantled.

The limitation of the Delhi BRT’s potential can be directly attributed to the limitation in expanding the corridors and the network. Though bus speeds improved within the pilot stretch, they would sink as soon as buses would get out of the network into mixed traffic.

Lack of public acceptance due to lack of outreach

One of the key observations from the Delhi BRT debacle is that the public doesn’t take to rapid transit networks like ducks to water. The Delhi BRT severely lacked in public outreach and the system utilisation was affected due to this dearth.

The BRT in Delhi was introduced to challenge conventional bus commute, which barely offered comfort and convenience. Yet, little to no information about this transformation and usage of the system was disseminated among the general public, most importantly bus users. So naturally what ensued was chaos on the BRT stations and lanes.

With Delhi planning to revisit the BRT project, though elevated, these above points along with global benchmarks needs to be part of the conversation. The city has a chance to rewrite its transport history and revitalise a transit system which is time-tested and continues to serve a majority of its people.

In the second blog, of this three-part BRT series, we talk about the basics of getting BRT right and how Hubbali-Dharwad could be close to the gold standard.

Written by : Rohit James

Edited by : Kashmira Medhora Dubash

Banner Image source : DNA INDIA

Lending a voice to Indian women: ITDP India celebrates women experts in transport

8th March 2019 By admin

“I wish they’d quit giving me cufflinks as souvenirs at these conferences,” said an ITDP transport expert after her return from another male-dominated transport conclave. Though such instances of sole woman representations at events is still a common occurrence, the culture is limping on its last leg. As more women transcend the ranks of various hierarchies (societies and workforce), cities are scrambling to pay heed to the needs and demands of the upcoming generations.

This Women’s Day we celebrate the lives and journeys of ITDP India transport experts who ventured into the sustainable transport sector to lend a voice to the many Indian women. Read more on why each of them chose to be a part of the change they wish to see everyday.

Micro-mobility devices: what could they mean for India?

22nd February 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Last month, Uber was reported to be considering the introduction of electric scooters, as part of their shared mobility services, in India. Part of an emerging global trend in the search for environmentally viable last-mile connectivity solutions, micro-mobility devices such as e-scooters have attracted over half a billion dollars in investment from Alphabet, Ford, Uber, and others in the last year. As a result, their arrival in India might be inevitable, and our cities could benefit from by creating a favourable regulatory environment.

How so? Electric micro-mobility devices have the potential to address two major challenges faced by our cities: enabling the mobility of persons with disabilities (PWDs) and reducing dependence on carbon-intensive modes of private transport, including two-wheelers.

First, the various forms they are available in makes electric micro-mobility devices suitable for a wide range of applications, including aiding the mobility of the elderly or PWDs. Further, their lower upfront and maintenance costs could help reduce private vehicle usage.

Reducing India’s dependence on two-wheelers

A recent study by IIT-Delhi found up to 70 percent of all work-related trips in Indian cities do not exceed five kilometers in length. These are distances typically covered sooner and more conveniently on two-wheelers than by using public transport in most Indian cities, perhaps explaining why 79 percent of all vehicles sold in the country in 2018 were two-wheelers.

Arguably, however, the usage of as many two-wheelers every day can prove detrimental to our cities, as they clog our roads and pollute the air we breathe. These are issues we have been unable to address despite years of awareness, as solutions have ranged from the impractical to the unviable. For instance, most State Transport Undertakings (STUs) in the country lack the wherewithal to expand public bus service capacity to meet the ever-growing demand. Even if they did, quality of bus service remains a concern. Then there is road rationing, which governments, perhaps mindful of political ramifications, do not want to subject two-wheelers to, as observed in Delhi during the Odd-Even trials.

In micro-mobility, however, our cities might finally have the means to reduce two-wheeler usage, owing to lower costs of ownership and usage. E-scooters in the US now cost between $100 and $300. Assuming similar prices in India, and even before subsidies, they could cost at least $150 (or about ₹10,000) less than most entry-level two-wheelers in India. Further, with shared usage models for micro-mobility, akin to public bicycle sharing, the residents of a city could be spared the costs of ownership, thus making e-scooters an attractive proposition compared to private two-wheelers.

Being powered by electric motors, micro-mobility devices also have an advantage over two-wheelers in terms of tailpipe emissions, any potential reduction of which could significantly improve air quality in most of our polluted cities.

Considering these factors, a favourable regulatory environment in India could make micro-mobility devices the preferred mode of travel in cities for rides up to 5 kilometres, the distance they are being used to cover in most American cities. In addition to the potential of reducing two-wheelers usage, this could also reduce dependence on shared cab rides over short distances. The likely threat to shared taxi firms perhaps explains why they are actively investing in e-scooter startups. The same threat – of losing ridership to e-scooters – unfortunately applies to state-run public bus services as well and herein lies the challenge in framing a favourable regulatory environment for micro-mobility devices meant for the general public in India.

Aiding the Mobility of PWDs

Micro-mobility devices for persons with disabilities and the elderly, however, might not face the same regulatory hurdles. In cities mostly hostile to their daily commute, chair-type micro-mobility devices, capable of being operated on the roads as well as indoors, could make lives easier for persons with special needs.

Research has found these devices, already in use in Japan and some other countries, to be essential in providing an active life to those with declining abilities. This makes them essential in a country where most public transportation modes are not suitable for use by people with special needs. Consider buses, for example. The Department of Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities, in its 2017-18 Annual Report, found only 9.1 percent of all buses in the country were “provided with accessibility features”. It should be noted that ‘accessibility features’ here may not necessarily mean a ramp or wheelchair harness, and could instead indicate the presence of audio announcements and other amenities accessible only upon boarding the vehicle.

Trains fare no better: most platforms are accessible only through a footover bridge. Then, there’s a gap between the train and the platform in almost every Indian city, with the latter often at a much lower level.

Article 41 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 guarantees government support to aid the mobility of PWDs. But with accessibility improvements to buses and suburban trains being hard to implement, and with metro rail access being limited to certain stretches of a city, micro-mobility devices are perhaps the easiest means of aiding the movement of the elderly and PWDs.

Regulating Micro-Mobility

In micro-mobility, India has a rare opportunity to address long unresolved, critical issues of public interest. India could also benefit from the lessons learned by other cities where micro-mobility solutions have been implemented. For instance, some cities in the United States have been affected by haphazard parking of e-scooters on footpaths and in public places. Some others have been wary of the road safety challenges posed by these vehicles.

The lessons learned by these cities, fortunately for India, has been documented in the form of reports, such as those published as part of the San Francisco Powered Scooter Share Pilot Program. These publications could inform regulatory decision-making in India to ensure micro-mobility complements existing public transport capacity, of which there remains a perennial supply deficit, and enables the mobility of PWDs and the elderly, a concern long unaddressed.

Written by Varun Shridhar

Edited by Kashmira Dubash

Cover photo credits: Ian Sane, Flickr

Mobility Matter: Why smart governance today ensures smarter cities tomorrow

19th February 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

The first edition of the Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM) Congress will lead a global reflection on the future of mobility and ITDP India is excited be a part of it! Shreya Gadepalli, South Asia Programme Lead at ITDP, has been invited to participate in an expert panel discussion on the role of public policies and governance in shaping sustainable urban mobility systems. The Congress is being hosted in the city of Bilbao on 20 and 21 February.

Presently, Indian cities lack clarity on objective ‘decision-making’, based on data, that can fetch them the right results. In response to this, Shreya Gadepalli will draw light on a strategic approach—which emphasises on clarity and capital, capability and capacity, coordination and communication—to establish a system of rational decision-making that uses data combined with public consultations to arrive at appropriate decisions.

A key element of CLARITY is also the institution of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that can guide decision-making. The issue of CAPITAL is closely linked to clarity of vision. It is a bit of an enigma. When it comes to high-value projects like elevated roads and metro-rail projects, there’s never a dearth of capital. The drought of funds somehow arises when it comes to basics like Complete Streets, that pay as much attention to footpaths and cycling facilities as well as buses that ensure urban transport is affordable, accessible and most importantly, for the public.

In addition, money is more forthcoming for capital expenditure but very limited or almost missing when it comes to maintenance. Often, maintenance is done through serial asset replacement. But now, in a few places, things seem to be changing. Indian cities like Chennai and Pune, with technical assistance from the ITDP India Programme, have developed urban mobility policies that prioritise walking, cycling, and public transport.

Next in line are the twin issues of CAPABILITY and CAPACITY to plan, implement, manage, and monitor. Indian cities have a very thin layer of senior management sourced from a permanent cadre of civil servants. Capacity at the mid-management level to plan and implement is missing except for in the top few cities, and in these cities too, the capability, i.e., the necessary skills, is often marginal.

There is an urgent need to establish this capacity, not just in the sheer number of staff required at appropriate levels, but also augmenting their capacity to plan, implement, manage, and monitor the vision that has been established. ITDP has been at the forefront of this issue. It has developed easy to learn training programmes and has trained hundreds of municipal officers across India in planning and implementing sustainable mobility initiatives.

Further, it is now collaborating with the national Smart Cities Mission to guide the top 100 cities in developing Complete Streets, managing parking, and implementing a monitoring and evaluation system.

Last comes the vexing issues of inter-agency COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION. Authority is fragmented in more or less all cities of India. For example, metropolitan areas have multiple municipalities. Further, these municipalities have limited jurisdiction over issues of mobility. Often, key arterial streets are administered by provincial highways or public works departments. So are bus services. Heavy [sub]urban rail—where it exist—comes under the national railways.

Each one of these agencies has its own plans and budgets that do not communicate with the rest. Only now are some cities like Chennai—one of ITDP’s deep-dive cities—starting to institute unified metropolitan transport authorities.

Shreya Gadepalli will throw further light on these issues and speak about how progress is now being made across India.

E-mobility: a game-changer for Informal Public Transport in India

15th February 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Across Indian cities, ‘informal public transport’ such as the shared-auto, mini-bus, tempos, and e-rickshaws are increasingly being replaced by cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola. While this is great news for the affluent section of society, who can get a ride in a jiffy and travel in the relative ease of an air-conditioned cars, millions of Indians who rely heavily on informal public transport (IPT) modes are left in the lurch.

Apart from being affordable, IPT offers efficient mobility, especially in smaller towns and cities which lack formal public transport systems. This sector also plays a major role in the creation of jobs—thousands migrate to cities to take up jobs driving rickshaws, despite the low wages. Yet, the modern definition of ‘shared mobility’ excludes them.

It is important to understand just how much Indian cities depend on IPT. The ITDP India Programme’s extensive study in Ranchi showed that over a fourth of all trips are made by shared autos. This situation is common among tier-2 and tier-3 cities where public transport is missing in action. However, there is ample scope to improve how IPT operates – for instance, route planning [by the RTO and the urban local body] can reduce congestion in busy localities and provide coverage throughout a city.

For Indian cities to have efficient, sustainable, safe and comfortable mobility, they need to start improving the IPT sector alongside public transport systems. The recent conversations surrounding electric mobility provides an excellent opportunity to intervene in ‘formalising’ IPT.

How much of an impact could electrification of IPT have on Indian cities?

As stated above, a significant number of trips are made using IPT in several Indian cities. Electrification will reduce the nation’s dependence on oil imports. Oil imports are a significant drain on the public exchequer, costing Rs. 5.6 lakh crores in the fiscal year of 2018. Electrification will also significantly reduce carbon emissions from fossil-fueled vehicles (assuming that the source of electricity is also clean).

It has been extensively reported that Indian cities are grappling with very poor air quality. WHO reports that 14 out of the world’s 15 most polluted cities are in India, nearly all of them in the northern region. These are also the same cities where IPT forms the backbone of public transport. Given that electrification will drastically reduce local emissions from transport, cities should actively try to switch from fossil fuel based vehicles.

This is not to say that electrification of IPT is at a nascent stage in India. Several northern Indian cities have taken to e-rickshaws over the past decade, so much so that they currently form the largest electric fleet in the world, comprising of 1.5 million vehicles!

E-rickshaws evolved from efforts in the late 1990’s to modernize the humble cycle-rickshaw. They first gained popularity in Delhi as efforts to improve mobility infrastructure in the lead up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. These vehicles used cheaper lead-acid batteries for power and were easy to drive, with low capital and maintenance costs. These factors led to an increase in its popularity across cities in north India. Today, estimates show that more than 11,000 such vehicles enter the market every month.

This growth has been largely driven by the private sector; efforts from the State have been rather limited. The Government of Delhi, realising the potential of electric IPT in reducing local air pollution, offered a subsidy of Rs 30,000 upon purchase. However, states and cities have yet not addressed the issue of ‘regulating’ these vehicles which can improve last mile connectivity, reduce road congestion, and improve air quality. In fact, initial uncertainties over the categorization of e-rickshaws under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, as well as concerns over safety had even led to e-rickshaws being banned in cities like Delhi and Ranchi.

A conducive policy and regulatory environment is necessary to maximise the benefits of electrification. This would involve the set-up of supporting infrastructure such as charging stations and e-rickshaw stands, identifying routes for operation, and having a clear set of guidelines on enforcement. However, as mentioned above, IPT often does not get the attention it deserves. An example for the same can be seen in the FAME scheme. The initial focus of the scheme was to incentivise electrification of private motor vehicles. Even though three-wheelers were part of the scheme, the lack of attention to the end-users—the owner and the commuter—meant that the uptake was minimal.

To unlock the full potential of electrification, India should have a clear vision expressed through a model ‘national electric vehicle’ policy. While addressing the whole spectrum of electric vehicles, the core focus of the policy should undoubtedly be on the electrification of modes that have low per capita energy and space requirement—specifically buses and informal public transport—and disincentivize the use of modes that are polluting, and consume higher per capita energy and space, such as cars. Such progressive policies would help states adopt a similar stance based on their contextual requirements.

Written by Vishnu M J

Edited by Kashmira Medhora Dubash

Everything you need to know about the introduction of e-buses in India!

1st February 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Urban mobility has always been a keystone sector to gauge urbanisation in India. Given that India’s population explosion is nowhere close to being defused, concerns regarding public transport issues are increasing by the hour. Most Indian cities rely heavily on public buses and informal public transport modes. In cities where public bus services are constrained by operational and financial issues, informal public transport services address the gaps in connectivity. However, both buses and informal public transport have not kept pace with the rapid rise in population; invariably, there has been a rapid influx of personal motor vehicles in recent years and with it a plethora of issues—environmental, mobility, and living conditions.

Over the past five years, electrification has been pushed forward as a panacea towards reducing these negative effects. This has triggered interest at the national level with schemes supporting acceleration of electric vehicles in India. The Government of India approved the National Mission on Electric Mobility and subsequently, the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 was launched in 2013. As part of the mission, the Department of Heavy Industry notified the FAME scheme [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India] for the purpose of incentivising and implementing electrification of motor vehicles.

City bus operators in India have a fleet comprising mostly of diesel and CNG buses. Electric buses are new to many operators and given the diversity of products available in the market, selecting optimum technology is challenging. For example: should operators procure a bus with overnight charging or intermediate charging? Should they try battery swapping? Which route should an operator choose to use the electric buses on; will the battery last a full day of service? Given the lack of clarity, many operators chose to run electric buses on trial before taking a decision to procure them.

BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) was one of the first operators in the country to test an electric bus in 2014. Following this, public bus operators in cities like Hyderabad, Chandigarh, and Mumbai tested electric buses successfully. These trials helped the operators understand the challenges in operating electric buses. The most significant finding was that some electric buses could ply up to 250 kilometers after charging them for four hours at the depot. This meant, myths regarding the distance a bus can travel in a single charge and the time taken to charge the bus, were busted.

Following successful trials, some operators initiated plans to introduce electric buses in their fleet. Public bus operators such as the BMTC decided to procure 150 electric buses. Government of Delhi too, announced its plans to procure 1000 electric buses in their 2018-19 transport budget. However, given the high procurement costs and lack of funding, many projects failed to take off.

The FAME scheme had initially focused on electrification of private motor vehicles rather than buses and other forms of public transport. Incentives within the scheme were available to procure ‘hybrid’ electric buses but a very few operators showed interest. However, after the inclusion of incentives for full electric buses in the scheme, in 2016, the Department of Heavy Industries-Government of India received proposals from operators in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru to induct electric buses

In November 2017, Mumbai’s BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) flagged- off 6 electric and 25 hybrid buses for passenger service. There was an uptake in proposals in response to an EoI (Expression of Interest) issued by Department of Heavy Industries to procure electric buses, cars and bikes. The Department received more than 40 proposals with plans for 3000 buses. However, the department only selected 11 cities with plans to procure 390 electric buses.

A month later, 10 cities completed the tendering process to procure electric buses. Of the 10 cities, Indore, Lucknow, Kolkata, Jammu, and Guwahati decided to go with outright purchase of e-buses. On the other hand, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur decided to invite bids under a Gross Cost Contract (GCC). Under GCC, buses would be operated and maintained by the supplier at a fixed cost per kilometer. These cities expect to receive a subsidy of upto 60% of the capital cost of electric bus.

However, only a few cities have managed to complete the procurement process. Bangalore’s plans to procure electric buses under the Gross Cost Contract was put on hold after differences with the state government, and Mumbai cancelled tenders after challenges in procurement. Hyderabad on the other hand, received a few buses and is expected to launch services soon. Ahmedabad and Kolkata are also expected to launch services in February.

In 2019, cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, and Ahmedabad will join Mumbai in operating electric buses. As more cities take their first steps towards transitioning to an electric future, it is important to take learnings from the past five years on procuring, rolling-out and operating electric buses. This is also the right time to evaluate funding mechanisms and focus on prioritising electrification of public buses over private motor vehicles.

Written by Sai Ratna Chaitanya

Edited by Kashmira Medhora Dubash