India’s major cities are overwhelmed by an unprecedented volume of vehicular traffic.
As the population expands, urban migration increases correspondingly. Consequently, the growth in urban population is accompanied by a proportional rise in the number of vehicles. However, the road infrastructure has remained largely unchanged, resulting in more vehicles per kilometer of road length than there were a decade ago.
What measures have we taken to address this issue?
None.
Simply expanding road widths and reducing pedestrian spaces are not viable solutions, as these actions have not alleviated traffic congestion but instead led to higher vehicle speeds, contributing to increased accidents. The situation has been exacerbated by several factors, including the mindless allowance of encroachments by local authorities, which has forced pedestrians to navigate through traffic while risking their safety.
Furthermore, governments have failed to treat urban traffic as a long-term concern, neglecting to devise plans for decongesting roads, streamlining building approvals, designating public parking, optimizing road intersections, enforcing lane discipline, and implementing traffic penalties effectively, despite having substantial resources at their disposal.
Additionally, public transportation has not been prioritized as the most desirable solution. The implementation of metro rail lines has been delayed by decades compared to other global cities, leaving several cities without plans and forcing them to wait for 10-20 years, during which time their populations will have increased by 10-20%.
To rectify this situation, several steps need to be taken, including creating exclusive pedestrian roads, utilizing public spaces more effectively, implementing carpooling, phasing out slow-moving vehicles, removing stray animals from roads, planning road excavations more efficiently, and ensuring better road conditions.
It is imperative that these issues are addressed urgently and infrastructure planning is tailored to meet the specific needs of each city, involving experts with international experience.
THE PULSE by Sivakumar Gopal 