Suggestions from Committee on Delhi Traffic Decongestion
A High Powered Committee on 'Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi' has called for a paradigm shift in transport planning and policy interventions to check explosive growth in automobile population in the national capital and move people more efficiently than cars through effective public transport system.
The Committee set up by the Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu in October, 2014 further to media reports on the havoc being caused by traffic congestion came out with a 126-page comprehensive report analysing the causes and consequences of traffic congestion and suggesting a way forward.
The inter-ministerial Committee, held several rounds of deliberations with representatives from 19 different ministries and agencies of Central and Delhi Governments, Delhi Police and all the urban local bodies.
Important notes:
The committee noted that 21% of city's area is already under roads with limited scope for road network expansion.
60% of passenger trips are below 4 km distances and 80% below 6 km lengths which are ideal for non-motorised transport.
Recommendations by the committee:
The Committee strongly recommended development of necessary infrastructure for promoting walking and cycling in the national capital.
It also opined that automobile centric planning with focus on road widening, construction of more and more flyovers, Foot Over Bridges, Under Passes etc., have only promoted increased use of private vehicles which are meeting only less than 20% of transport needs and should not be encouraged unless warranted by natural barriers like rivers.
Expressing concern over 18 different Central and Delhi Government departments and agencies handling different aspects of transportation in the city region, the Committee recommended a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority for better coordination, quick decision making and execution.
The Committee recommended execution of the following projects in the next two years to provide immediate relief:
1.
Implementation
of
Parking
Management
Districts
for
Connaught
Place
(management
plan
only
required
to
be
evolved),
Nehru
Place,
Karol
Bagh,
Kamla
Nagar,
Vikas
Marg,
Lajpat
Nagar
and
Bhikaji
Cama
Place.
2.
Multi-modal
integration
of
78
Phase-III
Metro
stations,
Integrated
Passenger
Terminals
at
Sarai
Kale
Khan,
Bijwasan
and
Anand
Vihar,
development
of
200
kms
of
cycle
tracks
and
footpaths,
improvement
of
200
junctions,
purchase
of
2,000
buses,
implementation
of
Kakardooma
and
Sanjay
Lake
TOD
Projects,
Intelligent
Transport
Systems,
operationalisation
of
UMTA
etc.
Projects to be implemented in the next five years include:
1.
Multi-modal
integration
of
129
Phase
I
and
II
metro
stations,
2.
Integrated
passenger
terminals
at
Kashmere
Gate,
Holambi
Kalan
and
Tikri
Kalan,
3.
500
kms
of
cycling
and
walkways,
4.
Development
of
200
more
junctions,
five
BRTS
corridors,
improvement
of
geometry
of
400
junctions
along
with
IT
system
for
surveillance
and
vehicle
systems,
5.
TOD
projects
at
Dwaka,
Narela
and
Rohini
etc.
The Committee also recommended setting up of Committee headed by Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi with representatives of other stakeholders for monitoring the implementations of various recommendations for decongesting traffic in Delhi.
Concerns expressed by the committee:
1.
The
Committee
also
expressed
serious
concern
over
mushrooming
of
gated
communities
in
the
city
which
are
compelling
local
traffic
to
come
onto
main
roads
by
preventing
short
cuts
for
movement
of
people.
2.
The
Committee
called
for
various
interventions
over
the
next
five
years
to
enable
80%
share
for
public
transport
and
non-motorised
trips
in
total
transportation
in
the
city
where
in
the
total
passenger
trips
are
estimated
to
increase
to
280
lakhs
per
day
in
2021
from
a
mere
45
lakh
trips
in
1981,
118
lakh
trips
in
2001
and
144
lakhs
in
2008.
3.
The
Committee
concluded
that
the
explosive
growth
in
automobile
population
needs
to
be
checked
quickly
by
adopting
a
'carrot
and
stick'
policy
of
enabling
increased
use
of
public
and
non-motorised
transport
and
disincentivising
use
of
private
vehicles
through
deterrent
parking
pricing
and
Congestion
Tax.
Funds needed:
The interventions recommended by the Committee for improving public transport in the national capital is at an indicative total cost of Rs. 19,762 cr and it includes:
1.
Development
of
7
pilot
Parking
Management
Districts
under
PPP-
Rs.70
cr,
2.
Multimodal
Integration
of
207
Metro
stations-Rs.
4,957
cr,
3.
Cycle
tracks
and
foot
paths-Rs.
2,300
cr,
4.
Cycle
sharing
projects-Rs.
1,715
cr,
5.
BRTS
and
Bus
service
improvement-
Rs.
6,760
cr,
6.
Removal
of
choke
points,
Junction
improvement
and
providing
missing
links
to
enable
commissioning
of
near
finished
projects-
Rs.
3,250
cr
(this
has
already
been
provided
by
the
Ministry
of
Urban
Development
under
Urban
Development
Fund)
and
7.
Capacity
Building-
Rs.40
cr.