Develop Mass Transport Systems To Avoid Urban Vehicular Chaos

Apex chamber ASSOCHAM said  a network of mass transport systems is imperative to avert urban vehicular traffic as the number of cities with more than 10 lakh people will increase from 48 to 68 in the next two decades.

There are seven mega cities at present each with a population of 40 lakh. “There will be a huge demand for mass transit rail as each of the 13 major cities will have a population of 40 lakh by 2030,” said The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in its recent study titled ‘Vision 2030 for Emerging Cities of India.’

The study was put together by chamber’s research and economic bureau after four months of exercise across the country.

Mumbai is likely to have 3.3 crore people by 2030, Delhi 2.6 crore, Kolkata 2.3 crore, Chennai 1.1 crore, Bangalore and Pune one crore each followed by Hyderabad 98 lakh, Ahmedabad 84 lakh, Surat 74 lakh, Jaipur 54 lakh, Nagpur 52 lakh, Kanpur and Vadodra 42 lakh each.

“Cities will account for 69 per cent of the country’s GDP in the next two decades. There will be critical political impact of this urbanisation which should be studied by all policy makers and other stakeholders.”

The total urban population is already 37.7 crore and may exceed the earlier projection of 59 crore by 2030, said the ASSOCHAM study. India’s urban sprawl is poised to become second largest in the world with more population than in many countries.

The most critical issue in times to come will be efficient transport systems to decongest burgeoning urban vehicular traffic volume. “Metro Rail has the potential to bring all-round benefits to businesses, the environment and people from all walks of life. It is evolving as an industry on its own, and creating space for new services and jobs.”

The big challenge for urban planners is to cope up with seven mega cities with 20 per cent of India’s population and demanding 40 per cent of total investments projected, according to the study. Metro Rail lines are destined to become focal point of transit growth and network infrastructure at the centre of each mega city.

“Significantly, a comparison of greenhouse emissions estimated for different types of transport modes throws up the fact that Metro Rail is the least polluting among various vehicles.”

The share of public transport at 75 per cent by 2030 will reduce fuel demand by 100 million tonnes equivalent. But investment requirements for urban transport development in 87 cities are estimated at Rs four lakh crore.

These could be rough estimates as each of the four mega cities are asking for over Rs one lakh crore for Metro Rail in coming years, said the ASSOCHAM study. Along with planning, standardisation of Metro Rail equipment will be needed so that mass production of coaches, signaling and station design could be set in motion to gain economies of scale.

So the government should move quickly to establish the Metro as the best mass transport means in urbanising India as a policy, said the ASSOCHAM study.

“This will mean planning for Metros in all major cities having a population of above 40 lakh, the projections of Metro construction, facilitation of mass transport to create demand for more industries to serve this demand, many new services to be provided in Metro premises and through its network of satellite bus services.”