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

Chennai enroute to humanising streets through better design

15th March 2019 by admin

Having successfully created over 100 km of Complete Streets with wide and vibrant footpaths, Chennai is now expanding its efforts! The city aims to create a master plan for a city-wide network of streets for walking and cycling, along with adopting Street Design Guidelines to guide all future projects.

“The engineering team in Chennai has already been involved in many street redesign projects and has a lot of ideas. The stage is set, now we just need to scale up the work and transform Chennai with a Non-Motorised Transport master plan,” said the newly appointed Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation G Prakash, IAS, at an internal kick-off workshop on 8 March, 2019.

The day-long workshop, held by the Greater Chennai Corporation with technical support from the ITDP India Programme, was set with a dual agenda. Firstly, it aimed to establish the vision for Chennai to create a Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) master plan and to identify the process to develop the same. Secondly, it aimed at the dissemination of information from the design guidelines to the engineers and officials from various departments of the city.

Through a hands-on and participatory exercise, participants were able to give feedback to improvise the guidelines. The workshop brought together over 60 participants, comprising of engineers and officials from different departments of the Greater Chennai Corporation.

NMT Masterplan

All global metropolitans, including Indian ones, are waking to the realisation that it is imperative to prioritise walking and cycling while planning cities. To quote placemaking pioneer Fred Kent, “If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.”

“With over 100 km of streets reclaimed for pedestrians and cyclists, Chennai is certainly on the right track of prioritising people over motorised transport,” said L Nandakumar, chief engineer of the Greater Chennai Corporation, while presenting various street transformations and laurels the city has achieved over the years.

The need for an NMT master plan was highlighted by Aswathy Dilip, Senior Programme Manager at the ITDP India Programme, who spoke of the requirement for bringing a network approach in the planning of projects in the city. This will help scale up the existing projects, ensuring the street transformations are not scattered and instead done in a holistic manner. An NMT master plan will ensure the promotion of environmentally friendly modes that encourage healthy lifestyles. It will also contribute to social equity by improving accessibility to work and home for all cross sections of the society.

The proposed approach for the Chennai NMT master plan is in line with the Tamil Nadu Mega Streets Programme, that plans to redesign 1,600 km of roads across ten corporations in the state.

Chennai Street Design Guidelines

Over the past few years, Chennai has been taking great efforts to create safe, walkable, and livable streets that cater to all user groups. Known as Complete Streets, these are designed with wide and continuous footpaths, safe pedestrian crossings, dedicated cycle tracks (where applicable), conveniently placed bus stops, clearly designated on-street parking, organised street vending, and properly-scaled carriageways.

With many more streets in the pipeline to be redesigned by the Greater Chennai Corporation, the NMT master plan looks to drive this vision through with a set of guidelines to direct the design and implementation process. The main focus being to improve the user experience and ensure seamless connectivity. As a result, the state is planning to adopt the Chennai Street Design Guidelines—which draws from various Indian Roads Congress guidelines and also from the city’s own learnings from its street design experience.

The guidelines aim to create streets for all users. It is intended for urban designers and most importantly, government officials and citizens who look to inhabit better quality urban environment and bring back life into our city streets. For this purpose, the design guide identifies the different functions of streets and emphasises the need for complete streets that accommodates all.

Besides the step-by-step design process chart, the guidelines offer designers a checklist of information to be collected prior to designing the street. It also highlights the various elements that form a complete street. Through street and intersection templates, one can get a sense of how different elements come together to create different types and sizes of streets.

Hands-on Exercise

To better understand the concept of Complete Streets, the engineers, at the workshop, were engaged through a hands on exercise to use the guidelines to redesign a city stretch. As interest grew in the exercise so did the valuable feedbacks, which have been noted and the ITDP India Programme will work to improve suitably.

In 2014, Chennai set an example for the rest of the country by adopting the non-motorised transport (NMT) policy. It sent out a clear message: Chennai prioritised its people over cars. By creating a master plan for a city-wide Complete Streets network and adopting the Street Design Guidelines, the city is adding more feathers to its already illustrious cap. These moves reflect Chennai’s commitment to create safe streets that consider the needs of all users.

Written by A V Venugopal

Edited by Rohit James and Kashmira Medhora Dubash

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.

Congestion Pricing: panacea to Mumbai’s transport woes

7th March 2019 by admin

Mumbai wears many tags: The City that Never Sleeps, The City of Dreams, The Maximum City, etc. Another moniker that aptly defines the conditions prevalent in the city could be ‘The City of Traffic Bedlam’. Such is the chaos that reigns supreme on the city’s pigeonholed roads, with private motor vehicles playing the usual suspects.

In light of the ever-rising transportation concerns, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)—the agency responsible for urban planning in the Mumbai region—is keen to explore the feasibility of congestion pricing to reduce traffic congestion. A stakeholder focus-group meeting was held on 6 March, to understand various perspectives of congestion pricing, as part of a joint study initiated by MMRDA in collaboration with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India Programme.

A travel-demand management measure, congestion pricing aims to tackle the issue of road congestion, growing private vehicle use, and environmental pollution. Simply put, the approach will look to levy a charge on private vehicles for accessing a high-demand stretch or zone. These charges are aimed at discouraging usage of private vehicles, while improving and promoting public transport ridership.

A move long overdue

Mumbai has been renowned for its strong network of public transport systems such as the omnipresent BEST buses and the reliable ‘local trains’. But as middle-class ambitions grew, so did the car-craze. In the recent decade, private automobiles found safe sanctuaries in the homes and streets of Mumbai. Meanwhile, the BEST bus services continue to suffer due to declining fleet sizes and ridership; while the local trains, the city’s backbone, are bursting at the seams with unimaginable passenger load.

Greater Mumbai’s extravagant private vehicle growth and expenditure on related infrastructure cannot justify the paltry commute figures. Private vehicle numbers skyrocketed from 7.9 lakh in 2001 to 32 lakh in 2017! Even though they make up for only 12% of all trips, private vehicles occupy over three-fourth of road space, leaving the rest to the fringes. What happens when the 12% increases to 20% or even more? Constructing more roads or flyovers is not the answer – these are short sighted solutions that are expensive and unsustainable.

Decongest and get a move on

As per Uber Movement estimates, the average Mumbaikar spends 135% per cent more time on the road than their Asian counterparts. Thus, the move to congestion pricing is not about punishing the driver; it is more about ensuring people get to their destination faster and more affordably—with less environmental impact and less stress.

According to the MMRDA, congestion pricing will encourage a modal shift to public transport modes which is a healthy alternative for people and the environment. It is also understood that an effective congestion pricing strategy will increase average speed and reduce travel times by all modes, especially buses.

However, congestion pricing is a mere part of the bigger puzzle that looks to resolve traffic congestion in cities like Mumbai. “Mumbai should first try more simple traffic reduction measures like charging on-street parking and eliminating on-street parking from mobility corridors. That is slowing down buses. The buses run only about 160 km/day today, against 200 km just a few years ago. Buses have to run 200 km/day to be viable” says Harshad Abhyankar, Mobility Planning Specialist at the ITDP India Programme.

Presently, BEST buses share the carriageway with other vehicles and hence, their operating speed is adversely affected by traffic congestion. Haphazard parking increases friction on the street edge which further slows them down. Lower bus speeds generally result in fewer buses scheduled on routes, which only entices commuters to opt for the more ‘convenient’ option – their car or the two-wheeler. And this vicious cycle continues.

The move towards congestion pricing will allow Mumbai to explore the possibility of firstly, charging on-street parking to discourage the use of private vehicles, secondly, prioritising and strengthening the lifeline of the city – its BEST buses, and thirdly, investing in high-quality people-friendly infrastructure such as footpaths, cycle tracks, and dedicated bus lanes. For all of this to be successful, “a legislation that gives charge of all traffic reduction measures and related responsibilities to a single entity is desirable”, emphasised a participant at the focus group discussion.

No one enjoys being stuck in traffic. People stuck in traffic jams lose time, money, and their peace of mind. Congestion pricing is a measure to reduce traffic congestion – that is charging private vehicles for accessing a high-demand stretch or zone. The revenue generated can be levied to improve city bus services, and walking and cycling infrastructure – the more sustainable way of moving around. However, its application is an uphill task. The ITDP India Programme is excited to be working with MMRDA to learn from this initial meeting, further its understanding from international case studies, and explore possibilities of congestion pricing in Mumbai.

Move over traffic, Mumbaikars coming through (about time)!

Written by Rohit James and Kashmira Dubash.

Picture credit: Vincent Mivelaz, Flickr

Bicycle Sharing’s trail from Mexico to Ranchi

5th March 2019 by admin

Strides towards Smart Cities in India : The Complete Streets Framework Toolkit

26th February 2019 by admin

Have you ever wondered what truly makes a city? Is it just the layers of history seen through the built forms, or is it also the people and their interactions, which breathes life into these spaces on the streets? Streets in Indian cities have always been filled with this magic, weaving stories through the interplay of people travelling through the space for travel, business and other activities, inturn giving them a unique identity. Occupying approximately one-fifth of the total urban land area, streets are amongst the most valuable urban assets of any city.

However, India is at the crossroads of an ever-increasing demand for transportation and vehicle growth, due to rapid urbanisation, economic development, and growing wealth among households. This has made it critical for Indian cities to introduce sustainable mobility measures, to ensure a safe, equitable, and livable future for its people.

With this aim, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under the Smart Cities Mission, launched ‘The Complete Streets Framework Toolkit ’ with technical inputs from ITDP India Programme, on 26th February 2019, in New Delhi. It is aimed at guiding the 100 selected cities to prioritise walking, cycling, and public transport over cars, unlocking the inherent potential of the street space.

The toolkit is intended to be used by decision makers, city officials, engineers, planners, and consultants to develop a complete streets policy framework, design and implement as per standards and guidelines, and evaluate the progress.

The fault in our streets

Walking and cycling are critical transportation modes for the people in Indian cities, providing low-cost and a healthy means of travel. In spite of the surge in the use of cars and two-wheelers, nearly fifty percent of the population across the country still depend on walking and cycling, both as a primary mode of transport and for last mile connectivity. Yet, the ground reality is starkly different, with only one percent of all streets in India, having walkable footpaths.

The most vulnerable users of the street, the pedestrians and cyclists, are left to face the brunt of unsafe streets. Road fatality rates in India have surged to 20-25 times that of developed countries. With 56 pedestrian deaths and 10 cyclists deaths per day, reported in 2017 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the streets in India are certainly not safe for its people.

Increased traffic congestion and road fatality rates, impacting the liveability and well being of the citizens, has raised the need to invest more in improving the sustainable transport infrastructure in the country.

MoHUA paves the way for a walkable India

The Smart Cities Mission has thus emphasised the need for the creation of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, promoting walking and cycling as an integral part of urban development. In order to achieve this, the top 100 cities need to redesign and transform over 40,000 km of city streets into complete streets by 2030. This will help the Indian transport culture get back to more sustainable ways while ensuring citizens reclaim their streets from the clutches of cars.

The transformation, in the name of complete streets, aims to redesign Indian streets with high-quality footpaths, segregated cycle tracks, safe pedestrian crossing and regulated on-street parking; basically, improve accessibility for all citizens, regardless of age, gender, and physical ability.

The toolkit consist of seven volumes: i.Complete Street Policy Framework ii.Complete Streets Policy Workbook iii.Complete Streets Planning Workbook iv.Complete Streets Design Workbook v.Complete Street Implementation Workbook vi.Complete Streets Evaluation Metrics vii.Complete Streets Best Practices. The step-by-step approach adopted aims at helping the cities in their decision making process, for bringing forth the transformation of its streets.

The toolkit begins with guiding cities to embed complete streets best-practises into a policy to set the big-picture vision. Clarity on the vision can better guide decision-making by the state and city administrators. Master planning follows suit, creating city-wide walking and cycling networks to ensure continuity and integration with public transport. All public transport commuters begin and end their journey by foot or cycle, thus, the impact of such network planning is far-reaching.

Network planning also helps cities identify particular streets that can be retrofitted or redesigned with footpaths and cycle tracks depending on the adjoining urban environment. The Design Workbook provides best-practise standards, guidelines, and the processes for designing complete streets by city officials, engineers, urban designers and consultants. Designs can look great on paper, but high-quality implementation of footpaths and cycle tracks is the game-changer. The Implementation Workbook is more of a check-list for urban designers, municipal engineers, and contractors on how to implement footpaths in complex urban environments. Finally, the progress must be monitored – the Evaluation Metrics details key performance indicators for monitoring transformation.

The Complete Streets Toolkit will help sketch a streetscape with opportunities for the millions whose lives would significantly be improved – especially women, children, and differently-abled people. A conscious effort to care for the most vulnerable members of the society is indeed a reflection of a developed country and a smart city. Afterall, as Shakespeare put it, what is a city but the people?

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