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There has been widespread recognition of the need for cities to improve public transportation systems for their citizens. There are clear gains for the city beyond. Reducing carbon emissions (45 percent reduction in air pollutants) and improving city air quality are a few environmental benefits that directly contribute to more significant health benefits for citizens through reduced respiratory diseases. There is also a significant reduction in noise pollution, apart from significant gains in fuel efficiency. From a safety point of view, public transport is definitely safer than two-wheelers and cars. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 2021, two-wheelers accounted for 69,240 deaths (44.96 percent) and cars were responsible for 23,531 deaths (15.28 percent) out of the 1,53,972 deaths. Furthermore, personal transportation has a high economic cost in building roads and associated infrastructure, with significant land conversion primarily to private transportation. There is no doubt that public transportation is a boon for cities.
Personal transportation has a high economic cost in building roads and associated infrastructure, with significant land conversion primarily to private transportation.
However, the claim that public transportation reduces traffic congestion is not always substantiated. It is reasonable to expect that public transport will allow many individuals who own cars or bicycles to abandon cars or two-wheelers, reduce their personal trips and switch to city rail or bus services. However, this may not necessarily ease traffic congestion, as people who have recently migrated to the city and new cars will occupy the vacant space, restoring the status quo of congestion. This is already the experience of cities that have built many bridges and subways but have only gotten some temporary relief with an eventual return to previous levels of traffic congestion. Regarding public transportation, the world’s first underground railway began operating in London in 1863. The primary goal behind its construction, as we mentioned, was to reduce traffic congestion. The London Underground, or Underground, continued to expand in stages later. Today it covers a total of 470 kilometers and serves about 5 million passengers daily. London has one of the largest public transport networks in the world and the most comprehensive in Europe, with integrated underground, train and bus systems covering the city. In addition, there are riverboat, tram, cable car and paragliding services. However, in the 2022 TomTom Traffic Congestion Index, of the 390 cities surveyed, London came top of the list with the greatest traffic congestion. The average 10km travel time in London is 36 minutes and 20 seconds, which has worsened since 2021 by 1 minute and 50 seconds. The average speed during peak hours is 14 kilometers per hour. This is confirmed by the increase in the number of cars. Between 1995 and 2020, the number of licensed cars in the city (2.6 million) increased by 17 percent. Bogotá and Curitiba – two cities in South America – have attracted international attention for operating more efficient bus rapid transit systems (BRTS) and have been emulated in several countries. However, that did not help them get out of the TomTom Traffic Congestion Index. They are ranked 10th and 37th on the list, respectively. In these two cities, the average travel time per 10 kilometers in peak hours is 26 minutes, 20 seconds and 22 minutes, respectively.
London has one of the largest public transport networks in the world and the most comprehensive in Europe, with integrated underground, train and bus systems covering the city.
Among cities in India, Delhi has allocated the maximum road space in its land use plan – more than any other Indian city. It also enjoyed its first subway service in 2006. Today, it has an extensive network of rail-based transit systems (over 400 km), the world’s largest fleet of buses powered by compressed natural gas, and the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). ) and various paratransit. However, Delhi suffers from traffic congestion and ranks 34th on TomTom’s global list with an average travel time of 22 minutes and 10 seconds for 10 km and at a speed of 24 km per hour during peak hours. Pune, another prominent Indian city, has seen a sharp rise in traffic congestion, ranking sixth in the world in terms of congestion. This is despite the construction and expansion of subway services, bus systems and paratransit. Metro rail started taking shape in Bengaluru in 2011 through Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMTC). Today, 70 kilometers of rail service is in operation, with a daily passenger capacity of 485,000. Moreover, the city operates 6,000 buses on 2,000 routes, of which about 825 are air-conditioned. It also has paragliding facilities through Uber and Ola cab services, auto rickshaw rides, motorcycles, scooters and bikes available for hire. Many of these services are enabled through the app, which increases the convenience of employment for passengers. Despite rich public and semi-public transportation, Bengaluru appears in the TomTom Traffic Congestion Index 2022 as having the second worst traffic congestion in the world. The city’s average travel time per 10 kilometers is 29 minutes and 10 seconds at an average speed of 18 kilometers per hour in peak hours, which has worsened since 2021 by 40 seconds. A study on public transportation in the Netherlands revealed that frequent car users do not prefer public transportation. The automobile was superior to public transportation in several aspects. It has provided the individual with the satisfaction of freedom, independence, flexibility of time, comfort, reliability and security. Many car owners found driving enjoyable, especially during family trips, and it added a status symbol to them, thus providing cultural and psychological advantages.
The city’s average travel time per 10 kilometers is 29 minutes and 10 seconds at an average speed of 18 kilometers per hour in peak hours, which has worsened since 2021 by 40 seconds.
In recent decades, automakers have worked to address many of the negatives associated with cars, such as air pollution, noise pollution, and a high accident rate. The noise and emissions levels of earlier cars have decreased significantly, and their energy efficiency and affordability have increased dramatically. Cars today have safety features such as airbags. Road construction globally is becoming increasingly safety conscious. All these factors have contributed to the rise in car use worldwide. The number of motorized vehicles in the world rose from about 75 million to about 675 million between 1950 and 1990. About 80 percent of these vehicles were used for personal transportation. Per capita passenger kilometers traveled by private car rose by 90% in Western Europe from 1970 to 1990. Elsewhere the story is no different. The evidence concludes that public transportation is not winning the battle against cars. While two-wheelers and cars are becoming more environment-friendly, the one front on which public transport was expected to succeed – namely the reduction of two-wheelers, cars and traffic congestion – is nowhere to be seen. The choice is actually not to stray from public transportation. There are three very strong arguments that continue to support it. It is environmentally friendly, provides fairness, and is an antidote to private transportation for commuters. We have already mentioned the environmental advantages that public transportation brings to the city. The argument for justice is that it serves the poor citizens, who do not own cars or have two wheels, and who constitute the majority of the city’s population. They need reliable and affordable transportation, which public transportation provides. Third, conditions in the city change over time, and more people may decide to switch to public transportation. This can especially occur due to congestion, commute time, stress, cost, and disincentives that city management may wish to impose, making personal vehicle ownership more difficult.
The argument for justice is that it serves the poor citizens, who do not own cars or have two wheels, and who constitute the majority of the city’s population.
At the same time, cities need to work hard on developing policies that target the functional, psychological and cultural values of private cars, as well as increasing the performance of public transport on features that will bridge the gap that attracts people to cars and automobiles. Keep people away from public transportation.
Ramanath Jha is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation
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