As vehicle sales increase, so should public transport
Record car sales can be seen as a sign of economic prosperity. During the first half of the current financial year, the sale of passenger vehicles in India is set to reach the 20-lakh mark for the first time ever. The September dispatches are expected to be over 3.6 lakh units, which would be another industry record. Over the next few months, the market is going to ride the festive cheer and likely set new records. This is great news for the industry, but is definitely not good for our cities that are reeling from congestion and pollution.
What is worrying city planners is the slow-paced expansion of public transport facilities and inadequate city road infrastructure. For fund-starved state governments and urban local bodies, city roads may not be a priority. The existing roads are crumbling and congestion is rising waywardly. In the rainy season, potholes are commonplace and road accidents regular because of these dangerous traps.
Frequent flooding and erosion of roads are not uncommon. All state-run transport companies are bleeding profusely; this has directly impacted the quality of their services. Bad roads take a toll on their buses and, post Covid, the number of buses operated by them has shrunk drastically, leaving riders stranded. While the central government is pushing cities to implement metro rail networks in joint ventures with state governments, their adequate spread remains a dream in most cities.
On the other side, rapid and ad hoc urbanisation has led to a number of problems. Significant increases in population density and a road infrastructure that is not keeping pace are just two of them. Growth in highways and motorways is good for interstate connectivity. But where are the city roads? The central and state governments need to sit across the table and implement cohesive policies to tackle this issue. Cities may need to raise large amounts of finances to promote green and sustainable transport options.
A recent World Bank report estimated that nearly $840 billion would be required for investment in urban India over the next 15 years to meet the growing demands of the population. This amounts to an average of $55 billion a year. Seamless transportation services will be one of the prime targets. Creating a conducive environment for state governments and urban local bodies to borrow funds will be critical for implementing these projects.