Shared, Green and Connected: Solving Delhi’s commuting Puzzle
K Yeshwanth Reddy
This article investigates.
Delhi Metro — the lifeline of the capital for the largest democracy in the world, transporting millions of people from various walks of life — has revolutionised mass transit in India like never before. The ever-expanding metro network of Delhi to constantly meet the demands of a rapidly growing urban agglomeration is now being replicated across the country — from Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, Kochi in the South to Ahmedabad, and Patna in the north, among others.
However, despite its large network and reach, Delhi Metro caters to only 10%-15% of the overall motorised trips in the National Capital Region. A study on transport demand forecast conducted by the Government of Delhi reveals that transport demand would be met in 2021 by the following means — 19.8% by metro, 33.1% by buses (includes non-public transport — e.g.
chartered buses for work or education — as well), 23.3 % by cars, 18.6% by bikes and 4.6% by autos. In absolute numbers, this would translate to 1.2 crore trips per day outside metro and buses, a 66% increase over 2007 levels.
Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) estimates suggest that these trips could further rise to 1.5 crore trips by 2030 despite a 54% increase in metro ridership from 2021 levels.
As individual’s purchasing power increases and the preference for comfort and accessibility of mobility continues to grow, the demand for trips through personal vehicles would remain significantly high and only get augmented, despite an exponential increase in the adoption of mass transit by Delhiites.
Given these circumstances, is there a way that Delhi can reverse the trend in an ever-increasing demand for cars and two-wheelers? What interventions by the government can shift these trips to public transport, shared mobility and non-motorized transport such as bicycles and walking?
It is essential to understand what people want from mobility to bring transformational behavioural change from a society that prefers cars to public transportation and shared mobility. City master-plans should ideally provide answers to building a sustainable mobility infrastructure. It is refreshing to note that preparation of 2041 Delhi Master plan which is currently underway would engage with citizens right from the planning stage.
The recently released Ease of Moving Index by the Ola Mobility Institute which is based on the survey of approximately 43,500 people across India including Delhi provides important insights into the mobility needs and preferences of Delhiites. The Index for Delhi reveals that 93% of the non-users would shift to public transport if it was affordable, had better coverage and frequency, and became comfortable. Further, 45% denizens do not use public transport because of concerns on safety, availability, and convenience. 89% of the citizens also emphasise the need for improving first and last mile connectivity to increase adoption of Public Transportation.
The transportation strategy of the city, therefore, ought to focus on strengthening first and last mile connectivity and affordability of public transport. The citizens’ preferences on coverage, frequency, affordability, and improving first and last mile needs to be addressed comprehensively in master-plan 2041 in order to achieve the desired results and improve
utilisation of these public transit assets.
Owning a car is associated with both comfort and social status — a fact evidenced by over 90% of the respondents reporting that owning a car is important. The Ease of Moving survey of Delhi found that more than 65% people have used public transport, out of which almost 50% of commuters use public transport daily but 80% don’t find public transportation to be comfortable, which is a clear-cut example of captive users. As the affordability of this group grows, they will show a tendency to shift to personal transport, thereby creating more pressure on the road Infrastructure.
The government needs to be cognisant of the fact that despite heavy investments in public transport infrastructure, the number of cars in Delhi is projected to increase with rising population and incomes. Further, the draft Delhi EV policy discourages shared mobility through a proposed congestion tax on shared mobility modes. The policy could instead consider
congestion tax on private vehicles with low occupancy and using polluting fuels such as diesel and petrol. This would help in solving the twin problems of congestion and pollution, though implementation is a challenge.
The short term solution to reducing cars on the roads is to encourage shared mobility, which is the sharing of an asset by multiple people sequentially or simultaneously. An effective parking policy would also help tackle congestion in short-term and shift people to shared mobility modes.
The long-term solution in transforming Delhi’s mobility lies in shared, green and connected. In the recent consultation discussions, “Reinventing Delhi”, on the proposed master plan 2041, broad consensus was established on the need for focussing on improving walkability, street infrastructure, and quality of public transportation. Delhi’s draft EV policy marks a paradigm shift
in encouraging and rewarding adoption of Electric Vehicles with the creation of supporting infrastructure and incentives targeted at increasing the clean kilometers travelled. Electrification of first and last mile fleet in the form of 2 wheelers/ electric 3W — inlucing autos and rickshaws — along with electrification of Public/ Shared transport which are the key focus areas of Delhi’s EV policy would go a long way in improving adoption of public transportation and other shared mobility modes. Additional measures such as rationalisation of bus routes through the Connect Delhi scheme, electrification of buses, the launch of One Delhi commuting app, and public
bicycle sharing, among others, address the key findings from the Ease of Moving Index to enable the shift from personal to shared and connected mobility. Solving the commuting puzzle is a long-drawn process as it involves large-scale behavioural change and a shift in preferences, which are in turn driven by various factors and choices of a diverse set of heterogeneous commuters. For now, through the numerous albeit small measures taken by the government and businesses, it appears that a beginning has been made
in the right direction, which will hopefully reach its intended destination.
