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Decongesting our cities
Article:
- P. Agarwal, CEO, World Resources Institute India, suggests adoption of app-based public transport survives.
Important Analysis:
2. Objective:
- Aimed at improving public transport systems.
3. Consequences of using private transport:
- Severe traffic congestion
- Air pollution
- Impact on energy security of the nation.
- Impact on economic efficiency of cities
4. Advantages of using public transport:
- Uses less road space
- Consumes less fuel
- Emit fewer pollutants on a per passenger basis.
5. Steps taken by government to enhance the use of public transport.
- India has invested large amounts in high quality metro systems in cities such Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Jaipur and Lucknow.
- Other cities are also planning to build new metros.
- Bus systems have also been augmented at a high cost.
6. Solutions:
- Public transport need to provide more convenience facilities to the people.
- The emerging slew of shared mobility options and app-based ride providers become important here.
- Sustainable mode of transport.
- App-based services wean people away from the public transport, so should not be allowed.
- Development in technology
- Modify regulations to accommodate app-based services.
- Safeguard investment in public transport
7. Hurdles:
- Services like the app-based mini-buses do not find favour with regulators.
- They are neither “stage carriages” nor “contract carriages” under the Motor Vehicles Act.
- Stage carriages are those that ply along fixed routes and stop at predetermined stations to pick up and drop passengers.
- Contract carriages are vehicles that serve a single customer or a group of customers, to be picked and dropped between two designated places.