Experts in Hyderabad looking for solutions to traffic congestion

deccanchronicle: "Hyderabad: Road safety experts suggest that a separate track for buses will be an ideal solution to solve the increasing road mishaps and traffic congestion caused by RTC buses. They point out Ahmedabad’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRTS) as a successful model. If planned scientifically this model can be successful in select routes in the city,

Another solution is to change their casual attitude towards driving. Experts said that it is high time the government improved the public transport system in Hyderabad. Introducing BRTS can be considered an important step in this direction. The service, which is included under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, has a separate bus bays for buses. Apart from Gujarat, Pune, Delhi and Jaipur has this system."

Bengaluru -- #publictransit is a mess, a dangerous, expensive mess

Companies tell employees to take public transport - The Hindu: "The real reason for this request is the skyrocketing prices for parking space. Parking for a four-wheeler can cost anywhere from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 8,000 per month. He said, “That is the reality, but no company will admit it.”

With pressure to cut costs, companies want to reduce expenditure on manpower, real estate and travel costs.

If employees take public transport, the company need not arrange for cabs, which also saves them the trouble of verifying the antecedents of cab drivers.

One person working in Whitefield said that it is not easy to drive in the locality as two-wheelers skid on sand scattered on the road while construction debris is dumped on road dividers."

Kathmandu needs to double its #publictransit

Needed: political will for public transport | Nation | Nepali Times: "Unreliable and congested vehicles have forced commuters to rely on two-wheelers and cars which in turn exacerbate the traffic crisis, increasing pollution, and adding to the country’s fuel bill.

Transit experts say Kathmandu needs to at least double its existing public transport capacity to meet the demand of a rising population. The road-widening campaign started by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai in 2012 unblocked the city’s main arteries, but experts say it is not a sustainable solution."

School Students to Get Free Travel in Public Buses in Kerala

NDTV : "THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  School students in Kerala can soon enjoy a free travel in buses run by State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
   
The Congress-led UDF Government in the state has decided to allow free travel for students upto higher secondary level from February next year.
  
Minister for Road Transport Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan told the state Assembly today that the government was mulling to implement the plan on an experimental basis."

Urban planners can't figure out traffic mess. Stop planning. Make buses free.

We've had enough planning. Make buses free and people will show you what the needs are.

Hindustan Times: "Though city-based transport authorities have commissioned various modes of public transport and infrastructure projects recently such as the Santacruz-Chembur link road, eastern freeway, metro and mono rail, none of them have inspired enough enthusiasm in passengers to switch over from suburban trains or private cars, to transport systems like the metro and monorail, transport experts present at the event pointed out."

Carfree cities

Post by Carfree.

Govt to create fund to promote public transport

Zee News: "New Delhi: Delhi government has decided to establish an urban transport fund to promote public transport and its use in a bid to tackle the rising pollution levels in the national capital.
One rupee cess shall be imposed on purchase of every packet of cigarette and every bottle of liquor for the purpose, a Delhi government official said Friday.

The government has also decided to introduce 8 coaches in 129 metro trains by March 2017. So far, only 58 metro trains run with 8 coaches."

Efficient public transport: Has Delhi missed the bus?

Hindustan Times: "“Delhi needs a high-frequency high-capacity bus system. There should be about 14,000-15,000 buses on road by 2021. Bus stands should be within a walking distance of mere five minutes from all areas. Bus frequency should be a maximum of 2-3 minutes in peak hours and 5 minutes during off-peak hours,” said Ashok Bhattacharjee, advisor, CSE and former director of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC)."

Flood warning issued as water level in rivers rises dangerously, India alerts Pakistan

Dunya News: "LAHORE (Dunya News) – The dangerously high water level in various rivers prompted the authorities to issue flood warning on Thursday in various areas, putting flood management on high alert."

#climatechange slams Kashmir

https://twitter.com/irshadnabi152/status/507388987489525760/photo/1

#energywars - India to get gas from Russia

India eyes $40-bn pipeline from Russia to import gas - Hindustan Times: "In a move aimed at ensuring India’s energy security, the Narendra Modi-led government plans to import huge volumes of natural gas from Russia. The Centre is working out the contours of a $40-billion (Rs 2.4 lakh-crore) mega onland pipeline project carrying gas from Russia to India, in one of India’s biggest energy projects till date. "

Road nonsense - cars choking Pakistan

The News : "For want of healthy recreation spots nearer to their homes, the fun-starved people have no option but to visit famous picnic and tourist spots. But, due to lack of public transport, visitors have to undertake the journey in cars. Consequently, the number of vehicles on the roads far exceeds their capacity, creating gridlocks."

Kathmandu - Work on bus-based mass transit system afoot

myrepublica : "To pave way for a sustainable transport system in the valley, the government, for the first time through its budget for the fiscal year 2014/15, had formally announced that it will introduce integrated mass transit system in the valley from the current fiscal year. "

Energy wars: India to join Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Delhi gears to join China-Russia club: "The SCO has informed New Delhi that it plans to approve documents making India a full member at a September 11-12 summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, senior officials have told The Telegraph."

Cars choking India

Perils of urbanisation: parking, a major issue | Business Line: "NEW DELHI, AUGUST 4:  
In a country where more than 25 lakh passenger vehicles are sold every year, parking is becoming one of the biggest problems, leading to skirmishes on almost a daily basis. No matter how efficient urban planning may have been, the surge in passenger vehicles does not seem to have been factored in.

To offer some relief to vehicle owners, the UPA Government had worked on many proposals of multi-level parking in metro cities, some of which have already been built. But many more are required to solve the problem."

Sri Lanka buses in bad shape, losing riders

nation.lk : "Over the years, very little steps had been taken in terms of improving the standard of public transport despite thousands of people depending on buses for their day-to-day traveling.
Since of late, the authorities however have taken various steps to improve the quality of public transport in Sri Lanka, but many continue to have their life on the line, or rather the edge of the footboard. The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has a fleet of around 5,000 buses out of which 20% have been on the roads over 15 years."

‘Public transport system needs to be expanded in Chennai’

New Indian Express: "CHENNAI: There is an urgent need to expand the public transport system in the city, said former managing director of Metropolitan Transport Corporation and traffic consultant R Krishnamurthy."

Pune, India, 115km BRT network planned

dnaindia pune : "The 115 kms of total BRTS network of routes planned for PCMC-PMC area, when completed and jointly operational, will become Asia's biggest and one-of-its-kind BRTS interconnected system."

Parking in Delhi can kill you

Scroll.in: "Police records suggest that 15 people have died in the capital over parking-related issues in the past five years, with many more incidents of violent clashes. Other than the capital’s generally high stress levels, which have given it the reputation of being particularly prone to violence and spats, the huge number of cars being added to the roads combined with limited space is mainly what is behind this unique category of crimes. It isn’t uncommon to see car tires being slashed or a parked car being keyed by angry residents who see it as a way to complain about parking."

Delhi - Motor vehicle owners are only 1/4 of population, but take up most of the roads

Hindustan Times: "Restraining the movement of seven million private vehicles in a city requires political courage, a paradigm shift from the populist, and often lucrative, policies of building more roads and cutting car prices. But encouraging the use of private vehicles serves only a minority. Studies show that only a quarter of Delhi’s population owns cars and twowheelers and yet choke the city’s roads."

Kolkata - "Why aren't they banning cars?"

Times of India: "Arora said, "Kolkata, with its different means of public transports and NMTs, could be a model for other cities. But it is shying away from its own model and is turning into a car-centric city, imposing caps on public transport and promoting cars instead of public transport".

Transport expert and director of the Institute for Democracy and Sustainability Rajendra Ravi wondered: "Cycles, unlike cars, occupy minimum space. Why aren't they banning cars?" Ravi said, "Cycle-rickshaws became a symbol of poverty in India, but came back as a symbol of development when the West adopted it."

He expressed concerns on governments opting for costlier modes like rail-based mass transit sytem in cities like Kolkata where the commuting requirement is barely 4 to 5 km."

Message of Tallinn free public transport spreads to India

The Times of India: "As Chandigarh is a small city, having 114 sq. km area with a population of 11 lakh, a Metro would not be feasible as a considerable population of 20-40 lakhs is required for its effective operation. The only way to ease traffic congestion is a good public transport system. We should follow Singapore's example where around 65% commuters use public transportation. To check traffic congestion, we could look at Estonia. A small country has allowed free transport service to its citizens. Similarly about 70% of the Delhi has reportedly shifted to public transport. Why can't Chandigarh do that, where only 14% of the population is using the public transport?

S K Khosla, Chandigarh"

Delhi traffic killing 5 people every day

Delhi tops list for fatal road accidents: "New Delhi: Delhi tops the list among cities in the country in terms of fatal road accidents with five people - four of whom are pedestrians and two-wheeler riders -- losing their lives every day, a report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed today.

The report pointed out that road accidents in the national capital had so far claimed 325 lives during the night and 332 lives in the day time from January 1 to May 31 this year. "

Buses meant for free transport to girls rusting away

nation.com : "All twelve buses owned by former federal minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s NGO have been rusting under the nose of the Sialkot district administration.
A year ago, the district administration had confiscated these buses, meant for free public transportation, on the pretext of alleged misuse. Since then, these buses have been parked at the Police Lines Sialkot. Now these buses have been rusting away which were otherwise new at the time of confiscation by the district administration. The fate of these buses has not yet been decided as the matter was taken at the Lahore High Court (LHC) by Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, terming the confiscation of these buses illegal act by the Sialkot district administration and political victimization by the PML-N government, alleging that the PML-N had politicised this bus project."

Prices should not affect transport choices

The Hindu: "Almost every metro rail project in the country has overshot the projected cost. Companies often tend to underestimate the cost and inflate user-figures to convince funding agencies that travel by metro rail would be relatively inexpensive. Later, they complain of cost overruns and demand higher allocations. Ticket prices are then raised and the travelling public bears the burden of such poor planning. Fares should be affordable, particularly to the large number of lower-income group users, and should factor in the less visible benefits that accrue from the service. Increasing the use of public transport relieves road congestion, reduces pollution and cuts fuel consumption. Realising this, cities such as Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, have made public travel free for its citizens. Even if Mumbai and other Indian cities do not want to take such a radical route, and decide periodically to review fares, the process should be transparent and fair — more so when the private sector operates public transport. Striving to balance subsidy and revenue is understandable, but high prices should not affect transport choices. Alternative financing options must be explored. Many countries have mobilised funds by imposing additional charges for using private cars, which pollute more and occupy road space disproportionately. The urban future lies in promoting good public transport, and its success depends on fair pricing and quality service."

Karachi, Pakistan. For this we fight and die in energy wars?

The Express Tribune: "KARACHI: 
Rapid population growth and the failure of planning and implementation agencies in Karachi to adequately develop and manage the requisite urban infrastructure has had many adverse consequences for the city. 
Perhaps the most visible manifestation of an on-going urban governance crisis is to be found in the transportation sector. Karachi, a city of 18 million people, has yet to be provided with a decent, state-of-the-art and viable urban mass transit system."

Cars don't fit in cities

The Indian Express: "With capacity to accommodate parking for barely 15 per cent of the number of four-wheelers registered in the city, illegal parking on footpaths and roads have led to deaths of pedestrians and disrupted traffic movements in the city. Parking problems, identified as a prime concern by the Mumbai traffic police, are set to worsen over the next two years if unchecked."

To address #climate, downsize transport - Lokayat

...It is thus the global capitalist system that is responsible for the global ecological crisis. It is the ruling capitalist classes – who control the levers of power in the developed and underdeveloped countries and who for

their profiteering are interested in maintaining this system – who are preventing humanity from making the bold decisions needed to tackle this crisis.



This can be easily understood with the help of an example. The transport sector is the biggest user of fossil fuels in the global economy. In order then to drastically reduce the global consumption of fossil fuels,

the transport sector will have to be severely downsized. This means reorienting the way the global economy runs today: it would mean replacing private vehicles with public transport and promoting use of cycles for

short distances – but these measures would severely affect the profitability of the car and truck manufacturing companies as well as the oil companies; it would also mean decentralizing production to reduce

transport of raw materials and finished products over long distances – but the giant multinational corporations who dominate the global economy today believe in hugely centralizing production to reduce costs...



read more here: http://lokayat.org.in/content/english-booklets/Crisis-of-Global-Warming-second-edition-2011.pdf

Delhi - 700 more cars every day

Are we doers or chokers? Capital’s air quality hinges on the answer - Hindustan Times: "The government has to provide decent travel alternatives and then take tough measures. The 12-year-old Delhi Metro ferries 2.5 million passengers daily. Yet at least 700 new cars hit Delhi’s roads every day. Clearly, not many of those who can afford to buy cars are using the Metro."

Cars vs. Buses: Do we have a choice any longer?

Lokayat : "If governments can spend billions of dollars bailing out corporations, they can surely spend a few million dollars on taking steps to drastically reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads, as that would sharply reduce global warming which is pushing the world towards catastrophic conditions. In fact, the need of the hour is to make public transport entirely free. The benefits are huge. Leave aside the consequent drastic improvement in quality of life due to improved air quality, no congestion, huge open spaces even in cities which can then be converted into gardens, peace of mind due to drastic reduction in risk of accidents, all of which cannot be measured in monetary terms; for a country like India, this is also a very viable proposition commercially. For, the foreign exchange savings, savings in oil consumption, and savings in medical bills from improved air quality and reduced accidents will be far more than the cost of providing this free transport. "

India needs free public transport

Mail Online : "From an environmental standpoint they are a disaster. Controls over urban layouts, building heights, movement within the city, markets and production of goods – they need to be reassessed.

Should people be fined for commuting long distances in the city and adding to pollution? Should the municipality collect a tax from cars parked on public land at night? Shouldn't city residents who own no vehicles be allowed to travel free in public transport? The answers may generate new urbanity.

Certainly, expansion of towns like Bangalore and Lucknow, the new towns planned in the industrial corridor between Delhi and Mumbai, unless built to new standards of environmental design, will further squalor and decay. "

India Politics and Transportation Issues

Sustainable Cities Collective : "Should buses and public transport be given importance only during formal inauguration? When buses are given due respect similar to that of a marriage bride, shouldn’t’ the father and mother of bride (here, politicians claiming to be mother and father of buses) also take care? Is the role of fathers and mothers only limited until the inaugural sessions? Isn’t it the duty of politicians to also look after sustainability of public transport? Neglecting public transport is like celebrating the birth of child with great pomp and joy and then leaving the child on its own to grow up and become a goon or dacoit.For a developing nation like India, which is world’s second most populous country and has to depend on external aid for meetings 80% of its crude oil demand, it is now a high time that politicians, godfathers and godmothers of different states and political parties think seriously towards the investments made in public transport and act towards sustainability and promotion of public transport, come out of the old fashion of thinking public transport and new buses as the subject of ‘Inauguration Only’. If India wishes to achieve cost cutting in fuel consumption, oil imports and carbon emissions, 'politicians' will have to play a pivotal role in leveraging public transportation. "

Kathmandu is literally paving paradise

Nepal News Portal: "There is no possibility to widen roads infinitely. Therefore, Nepal needs to learn from the experiences of other cities to promote public transportation systems immediately. Public transport has the capacity to solve the challenges of increasing mobility, improving quality of life, controlling road accidents and traffic accidents. Nepal is in dire need of a public transport system that is safe, secure, reliable, integrated, smooth, comfortable, economical, efficient, and affordable. Once the level of service of public transport reaches close to the levels of private vehicle use, people will automatically shift from private to public transportation. Bus Rapid Transit in Curitiba, Bogota, Jakarta, Ahmedabad etc. has delivered results and has set examples. Economically sound countries have opted for metro, tram and buses and the developing countries have focused on bus transit. A well developed bus transit is economic to implement and has the capacity to satisfy mobility needs of the people. It is a well-accepted fact that there is no alternative to developing public bus services in Nepal. The solution is to move people by public buses, walking, and bicycles. - See more at: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php? "

Towards an efficient society

dailytimes: "An efficient transport system, which facilitates timely movement of thousands of people to their work places in a hassle fee, smooth and honourable manner can rightly be considered as the backbone of the economy of a nation. No mega city of the world can expand, flourish, prosper and sustain without a suitable transport system."

For people, not cars

Enrique Penalosa photo by v ganesan

For people, not cars | Business Line: "A typical politician will want gasoline to be cheaper but we need more taxes on gas. "

Expert: tax cars, fund #publictransit

Experts call for common vision to integrate public transport - The Hindu: "Etienne Lhomet, Codatu’s independent consultant, said other commuting modes must modernise, with the metro rail remaining the back bone of the integrated transport system. Traffic planning and management, and the upkeep of public spaces in Kochi too must improve to yield desired results, he said. “A city can be changed for good based on changes in mobility pattern. Urban culture and civic sense among people too will improve with the arrival of modern, commuter-friendly transporting modes,” he said.

He called for allotting more funds for Kochi’s water transport, which needs to be modernised. “The government can collect funds by levying more tax and fees on private vehicles, especially cars,” Mr. Lhomet said.

Their teammate Laura spoke of how French cities like Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux recently promoted the cause of public transport by ferrying people for free for three days, following an increase in levels of air pollution in those cities."

Bangladesh will suffer #climatechange caused by "developed" countries

Facing Rising Seas, Bangladesh Confronts the Consequences of Climate Change - NYTimes.com: "Such a rise will be uneven because of gravitational effects and human intervention, so predicting its outcome in any one place is difficult. But island nations like the Maldives, Kiribati and Fiji may lose much of their land area, and millions of Bangladeshis will be displaced."

Cars move only 7% of commuters, but use much more than that in space, time, and money

Hindustan Times: "Mumbai was the mega city in the world with the highest proportion of people using public transport — trains and buses — around 87%. But that has dropped to some 82% because there has been no investment in these modes, while thousands of crores have been spent on sea links, coastal highways and flyovers, all of which cater only to the 7% using cars to commute.

The Mumbai Environment Social Network (MESN), which is a key public transit advocate, countered the familiar excuse that there is “not enough space for cars and buses” by noting that a bus can run for 16 hours and carry 1,000 persons in a day (parking for eight hours); a car runs for two hours, makes about four person trips per day (and is parked for 22 hours). Fewer people have been using the city’s once-iconic BEST buses because of the congestion on the roads, caused by the burgeoning number of cars."

Free public transport reduces congestion 60 percent

Road to urban future - The Hindu: "They imposed restrictions on the use of cars, permitting vehicles with odd and even number plates to ply only on alternate dates and encouraging shared use of cars. People were allowed to use buses, Metro rail and other public transport, besides shared bicycles, free of charge during weekends. The reasoning was that restrictions and incentives would encourage commuters to shift to public transport, thus reducing pollution. Initial reports indicated that these measures worked, and congestion had come down by 60 per cent. "

Indore -- traffic expert say to stop building flyovers - support public transport

Free Press Journal: "Jatar added that the construction of flyovers should not be done as the public would not get space to drive and ultimately they would choose public transport system. He said that the construction of flyover doesn’t solve the problem of increasing traffic and the pollution caused by them instead it adds to the problem by providing space for all the vehicles.

Supporting public transport, he said that public transport is more important then personalized transport. He said that pedestrian should have the first priority of the traffic police."

Tamil Nadu, 95% increase in car ownership in ten years -- in short -- a mess.

Could Chennai become India’s model green city? | GulfNews.com: "Inadequate public systems force millions of daily commuters in cities like Chennai — commercial capital of south India — to inch for room in overcrowded buses and trains. Chennai’s busses carry 30 per cent more passengers every day than the international average. More and more affluent commuters abandon the system and take to their own vehicles. Tamil Nadu, Chennai’s home state, has seen a 95 per cent increase in car ownership in the past decade. Short-sighted solutions tend to focus on bridges, flyovers and roads to ease congestion. The trend disproportionately impacts the health and safety of the poor who primarily walk or use public transport. A study in Mumbai found that overall, 44 per cent of the city walks to work, though among the poor, that number jumps to 63 per cent. Still, the ever-expanding number of cars has brought major complications beyond traffic jams: extremely poor air quality and a spike in road accidents has put vulnerable communities those who often live and work on the roadsides at greatest risk."



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Cars are subsidized hogs

Kashmir Times: "Cars are the most inefficient, expensive and polluting mode of road transport ever invented. In India, their ownership is under 10 for every 1,000 people. Yet they occupy the lion's share (75 percent) of road space but meet only about 5 percent of the travel demand. Buses, by contrast, occupy 5-7 percent of space but deliver 45-60 percent of commuter trips.

This is unacceptably iniquitous. But the government refuses to recover the full cost of ownership and use of cars. The cost of the land on which roads and flyovers are built, and the expense of their construction and maintenance, add up to several thousands of rupees per square metre. But car owners get to use them virtually for free. "

Cars in India meet 5% of travel demand, occupy 75% of the roads

Hitting The Poor, Pampering The Rich - Kashmir Times: "Cars are the most inefficient, expensive and polluting mode of road transport ever invented. In India, their ownership is under 10 for every 1,000 people. Yet they occupy the lion's share (75 percent) of road space but meet only about 5 percent of the travel demand. Buses, by contrast, occupy 5-7 percent of space but deliver 45-60 percent of commuter trips. "

Government’s Hypocrisy On Urban Transport

By Vidyadhar Date: "The programme sponsored by the urban development ministry is well-intended. But look at the policies followed elsewhere and in reality. While one arm of the government seeks to promote public transport, another arm, Akashvani, is promoting the motor car. And shamefully this is being done through a programme sponsored by a motor car company called DSK Toyota. This programme in the morning prime time on the Mumbai B station glamorises, idolizes the motor car. So even a public service broadcasting utility with a fine tradition is being subverted from within and is promoting vested interests.

And did we not hear during the Delhi assembly poll campaign how Mrs Sheela Dixit, the then Congress chief minister, openly talked of building more double decker flyovers. And in one nauseatingly repeated and idiotic Bharat Nirman advertisement the flyover is touted as a symbol of progress."

Bangalore not safe for walking

The Times of India: "BANGALORE: Pedestrians are nothing short of sitting ducks for speeding and wayward motorists in Bangalore city. Unsafe pavements force pedestrians on to the road, where they risk life and limb; little wonder, Bangalore stands low on the Walkability Index (WI), an indicator of how walker-friendly a city is. "

Cars use 90% of road space to move 10% of passenger load

Campaign to promote walking, cycling, bus ride - Free Press Journal: "In India around 140,000 people die in road accidents each year. Vehicles are also the biggest polluter as they contribute around 70 per cent of air pollution in the country.

The National Urban Transport Policy has advocated for giving priority to non-motorised forms of transport.

At present, cars occupy around 90 per cent of the road space while carrying only 10 per cent of the passenger load."

Urban planners twist themselves into pretzels in order not to see the obvious

DNAIndia.com: "Public transit is a natural outlet for decongestion"...

Bangalore garment workers pay 20% of salary for commuting costs

Affordable transport should be a fundamental right, says forum: News Desk - Citizen Matters, Bangalore News: "If a garment worker or a pourakarmika, who earns Rs. 5,000 a month, buys a monthly pass for Rs. 725 (Rs. 925 for red board buses), she shells out 15-20% of her income just for commuting, which increases if more people in the family use the bus. Many people are now cutting their health and education expenses to be able to commute in the city. In fact, from February 2nd, fares for non air-conditioned buses have been hiked by Re. 1 for the 2nd Stage, citing rising diesel prices."

DM chief calls for curb on vehicles on UAE roads

Khaleej Times: "Our streets are getting jammed and it affects the daily life... the health of the people and the environment,” he said.

...He said the way forward was to use public transport system, especially the Metro. “I am sure the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) is building Metro in different stages and will open many more stations covering more areas and increasing the capacity,” he said, replying to a query on the jam-packed trains during the peak hours."

Improvement in public transport and non motorized transport facilities needed urgently

The Times of India: "In a reaction on the draft budget of the Pune Municipal Corporation which was presented earlier this month by municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak, Patwardhan said, solutions are clear - a massive and radical improvement and growth in public transport (PT) and non motorized transport (NMT) facilities. There should be a simultaneous and effective dis-incentivization on use of the personal automobile. This is fully in line with the National Urban Transport Policy ( NUTP), the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Pune (CMP) and the world-wide thinking that measures sustainable transport through the yardstick of public transport and NMT modal share in a city''."

Bangalore suburbs choked with road traffic

Every weekend the bustling commercial areas in Whitefield become inaccessible due to traffic jams

Choked roads: Suburban nightmare | Deccan Chronicle: "If traffic in the heart of the city is bad, it doesn’t get any better on its outskirts. While the more distant suburbs like Whitefield and Electronic City may now have their own entertainment, malls, and shopping areas, they are still not adequately served by the BMTC, forcing people to depend on their own cars or bikes to catch a  movie or even visit a friend in the vicinity, leading to more traffic than is necessary on their roads."

Foreign automakers can't wait to flood India with their cars

The Untapped Potential of the Indian Auto Market | The Financialist: "It should come as no surprise that India is the world’s sixth-largest auto market. After all, it’s the second most populous country in the world. Indians bought some 2.7 million light vehicles in 2010, compared with only 700,000 a decade earlier. But they’re just revving up the engine: J.D. Power & Associates predicts that light vehicle sales will skyrocket to 11 million by 2020, which would make the nation the third-largest car market in the world."



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"Making public transport free on certain days of the week is also a good option."

Bicycle highways: Bangalore's envy, Germany's pride - The Times of India: "Commenting on the need to encourage people to walk, Schmidt said cities should convert their "boring footpaths" into attractive spaces. "Establishing mobility hubs where people have the option of walking spaces, public transport and car-sharing is the need of the hour. Making public transport free on certain days of the week is also a good option," he said."



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Imagine your city with no cars

The Times of India: "SURAT: Ever wondered living a day in the city without private vehicles - with ample space to walk, ride a bike and even skate! This could soon be a reality."



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India Experiments with Car Free Sunday Streets & Bus Day to reclaim streets back for people

#CommunicateKaro: "Get creative on the streets to get heard and noticed. A new wave of people-centric innovative campaigns has reignited the concept of “cities for its people” in India."

IT zone ignores public transport

People wait for bus at a stop that does not even have a shelter. 

Most of the bus-stops in Hitec City do not have any shelter. — DC

Deccan Chronicle: "Hyderabad: The IT hub in the city —  covering Madhapur, Cyberabad and Gachi-bowli all the way to the Financial District — seems to have been planned without any thought for modes of public transport.

The entire hub has no space for bus stations or bus bays. To make matters worse, no agency concerned with public transportation can look into this issue. The core IT area has less than five designated autorickshaw stands and not a single bus station. There is no parking space for taxis or cabs either."

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Oil states do not want to repeat mistake of U.S.

Times of Oman | Column :: Public transport system a priority: "One sunny day in January 2008, I was astonished to find that the lecture "Lessons not to learn from American cities", had pulled many policymakers, academics and students at the LKY School of Public Policy in Singapore.

There, Harvard's Alan Altshuler, himself a former transportation secretary, made a persuasive case for public transportation, arguing that nations should not a leaf from the US, where the state of national public transport was deplorable largely due to Detroit Three's private interests dominating the public interests. "

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Inadequacy of Public Transport Cause of Congestion in Hyderabad

The New Indian Express: "V Madhwa Raja, chief engineer, Hyderabad Metro Development Authority, opines that inaccessibility to public transportation system is one of the reasons for people to opt for personalised transportation. He pointed out that the share of public transport has been coming down gradually from the past decade with it constituting 44 per cent now."

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Cars choking Kathmandu

photo credit

MYREPUBLICA.com: "KATHMANDU, Jan 1: Public are hapless victims of ever-growing traffic congestion in the Kathmandu Valley. Half an hour ride protracts to an hour or even two if it´s a rush hour - irrespective of the mode of transportation.

With the unprecedented increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, the traffic congestion could soon become one of the most challenging problems in the capital, if not strategically dealt fast. "

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