Authorities stop #freebus scheme in Pune, mistakenly thinking it will cost money

Free bus ride scheme hits snag as PCMC won’t budge - Pune Mirror: "With the forthcoming civic elections, the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) corporators last month announced to offer free rides on the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses on last Monday of each month in order to promote the use of public transport among citizens."

Government budgets around the world are structured in such a way that anything that benefits people is considered a costly "expense" that is "given" by government to the people. Actually everything is paid for one way or another, everything. It's just a matter of accounting. Right now people are paying very dearly to support the private auto. It takes up space and resources far in excess to the benefit it provides. Making buses fare-free is a good way to reduce this waste. But the auto expenses are not listed in the budget so they don't count.

Delhi to slash bus fares by 75 per cent

The Hindu : "To encourage people to use public transport, Delhi government has decided to slash fares of DTC and cluster buses by whopping 75 per cent from January 1.

The government has also decided to make DTC bus travel free for students up to the age of 21-years."

Delhi Government May Reduce Bus Fares By Over 50 Percent

ndtv : "NEW DELHI:  The Delhi government is planning to reduce fares of DTC and cluster buses (orange) by over 50 per cent to promote use of public transport and discourage people from using personal vehicles to bring down pollution."

Delhi odd/even car restrictions having "little or no" impact on nitrous oxide levels

Pollution Solutions Online: "Over in India, pollution has been dominating the headlines recently, with the Diwali festival of lights exacerbating an already serious problem. Though Delhi has imposed numerous restrictions on passenger vehicles, including maintaining the odd-even ban for over two weeks, an assessment of nitrogen oxides (NOx) above the city reveal that the schemes appear to have made little or no impact."

Nepal - privatized #publictransit is deadly

My Republica - SC again orders govt to end public transport syndicates: "According to traffic police, more than 1,800 people lose their lives on the roads every year. More than 20,000 Nepalis died in road accidents in the last 10 years.
The monetary losses due to road accidents every year amount to about Rs 4 billion  and more than 50 percent of accidents in the hill areas are due to the poor condition of the buses run by syndicates."

The price Karachi pays for its inefficient public transport system

The Express Tribune: "Karachi, often declared as one of the worst cities to live in, can put much of the blame on its non-existent public transport system because of which residents remain stuck in traffic jams for hours, reach office late and have less time to spend with family and friends."

Pune, India, planning to start #freepublictransport one day per month

Times of India: "PUNE: The citizens of Pune will get free bus service on every last Monday of the month. The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) standing committee has approved a proposal regarding it on Tuesday. The scheme is expected to be launched from next month; after final approval of general body."

Nepal Public Transportation: Is it really FOR the public?

himalayantimes: "In the absence of a strong commitment by the government to provide an efficient formal public transport system, private individuals or small companies provide informal public transportation services. Nowadays public transport is more of a business from which the owners can make hefty profit more than a public service run at nominal cost. The government has done little to make transport fare affordable to all sections of society. The need for a government-run and regulated transportation system is evident."

Pakistan people destroying "renewable" forests because can't afford natural gas

The Express Tribune : "Keeping in view the financial constraints in the way of providing gas or other alternate sources of energy to people, Shabir suggests that plants that grow faster than conifers should be planted."

Think about this the next time you hear about how great is renewable energy. Pakistan forests are being destroyed as an energy source, because it's too expensive to pipe in natural gas. ?? What?



The answer is degrowth. The human race must de-grow and fast. The solution is to make cities clean, safe, and car-free. Provide education and health-care and birth rates will drop.

Free public transport effective against air pollution

The Indian Express: "Public transport and parking in residential areas were made free to encourage people to use public transport. According to the government, the steps were successful and helped cut pollution significantly.
2015 was only the third time since 1997 that the city had to implement emergency measures.
Mexico City
Mexico City too made public transport free when air quality dipped last year.
When it declares an air emergency, Mexico City bans a fifth of private cars from roads on every day of the week. It also offers free rides on buses and trains."

Elderly demand 50pc discount on fares - Kathmandu

The Kathmandu Post: "Oct 3, 2016- Senior citizens on Sunday celebrated the International Elderly Citizens’ Day by demanding free medical service and 50 percent discount on public transport fares."

Urban planner says Bengaluru needs 6,000 more buses

The New Indian Express: "Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh said, “The issue is that there has not been a complete plan. We are putting together things in pieces without an idea of the final picture. There is no policy for city-wide infrastructure. We have to think of infrastructure and sustainable transport as twins. The need of the hour is sharper focus on buses, walking and cycling. There are no two ways about the fact that we need 6,000 more buses on the road and create areas for cycling.”"

Dhaka has 400,000 vehicles, only 22,000 are buses

The Daily Star: "According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the number of public buses in Dhaka is around 22,814 among which 9,995 buses are 20-seater mini buses. However, the total number of vehicles in Dhaka is more than 4 hundred thousand at present. With no automatic system for traffic control, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Traffic division is fighting a losing battle to control such huge and increasing number of vehicles."

'For choked Delhi, public transport is way forward'

The Statesman:: "Explosive growth of automobiles in Delhi should be checked through increased use of public and non-motorised transport and use of private vehicles should be discouraged through high parking fees and congestion tax, a high-powered panel said."

No room for traffic or new roads in Delhi

Firstpost: "The panel noted that 21 percent of the city's area was already under roads with limited scope for road network expansion, the release said.
As 60 percent of passenger trips are below 4 km distances and 80 percent below 6 km length which are ideal for non-motorised transport, the committee strongly recommended development of necessary infrastructure for promoting walking and cycling in the national capital.
The committee also opined that automobile centric planning with focus on road widening, construction of more flyovers, foot over bridges and under passes have only promoted increased use of private vehicles which are meeting only less than 20 per cent of transport needs and should not be encouraged unless warranted by natural barriers like rivers."

Over 60 lakh vehicles on Bengaluru roads, and counting

The Hindu: "These statistics validate a study, ‘Urban mobility trends in Indian cities and its implications’ (published in Developing Country Perspectives on Public Service Delivery), which noted an “alarming” shift towards private vehicles in Bengaluru, as also the highest growth in the use of cars and two-wheelers."

How much energy is spent just managing traffic jams?

Times of India : "Traffic officials said their control room closely monitors traffic across the city. "We have a digital map that shows the city roads, including interior stretches," said a senior traffic official. "The minute we see congestion at any point, we alert the nearest officer to rush to the spot," he said."

Motor vehicles choking Srinagar, Kashmir

Kashmir Life : "Compliant with the appeal of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for carpooling to minimize traffic congestion, the students and management of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar Saturday decided to use bicycles and carpooling in and around valley’s premier medical school."

Delhi ready to try anything except fare-free buses

Hindustan Times: "“We build flyovers, we make signal-free stretches and we ask people to cross the road using overhead walk bridges or underground subways. We discourage them from walking and crossing the road, giving primacy to cars instead of public transport. In most developed countries.., it is people first and cars last,” she says.
The successive governments seem not to have understood the close relation between public transport and lowering pollution, she says.
Other experts agree.
“Delhi needs to improve its transport system...The commuters need to have some incentive to give up their private vehicles and a well-connected and hassle free public transport will act as that,” said PK Sarkar, head of department (transport and planning) at School of Planning and Architecture."

Maharashtra: Free bus pass for disabled, 50% fare for senior citizens

The Indian Express: "Mayor Snehal Ambekar, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, has asked the civic administration to work on the modalities to issue the free passes to the disabled people and the passes with 50 per cent concessions to senior citizens.
As per 2011 census, there are 12 lakh elderly people in the city and 21 per cent among them, live below the poverty line."

#Climatechange heat literally killing people in India, but #freetransit is "too expensive."

South China Morning Post: "India is in the grips of a monstrous pre-monsoon heatwave that has killed more than 160 people in recent weeks. The majority of the deaths have been in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but soaring temperatures have compounded ongoing drought and water shortages across the country and threaten to impact as many as 330 million people, according to figures the Indian government reported to the Supreme Court."

Odd-even scam exposed, that leaves #freepublictransport as the solution

Quartz: "Kejriwal, supposedly the common man’s representative, uses a Toyota Innova paid for by tax payers. He is concerned about something. And that’s not pollution. It is to appear to be reducing pollution.
Headlines matter, don’t they?
The chief minister was only too happy that you loved his odd-even formula, even though for other reasons. After all, he had finally managed to win over the car-owning middle class, a segment that was not exactly kicked about his Aam Admi Party (AAP)."

Pune cars subsidized with cheap parking

Times of India: "Nearly half the population in Pune city alone (about 35 lakh as per Census 2011) uses two-wheelers or cars, according to a report compiled by the urban development ministry. The study blamed low parking charges for the preference to personal vehicles."

Children play in the street on #Carfree Sundays

The Hindu: "Though the annual examinations were not yet over for some, children were out on the road early in the morning with their cycles, bats, balls, frisbee, skipping ropes, and chalks. Seven-year-old Nila was enjoying with her friends and ball, a group of children was happy getting caricatured, and for some it was just an opportunity to meet friends and take a walk. It was also a special birthday for Hidanya as she cut the birthday cake at the sixth week of Car-Free Sundays."

Delhi Govt Holds Sixth Car-Free Day

outlookindia: "Transport Minister Gopal Rai, who participated in the programme, said people should use public transport instead of their personal vehicles once every month.

The Delhi transport department holds a car-free day on the 22nd of every month in different areas to encourage people to use public transport."

In India, #carfree days expose the lack of good #publictransit

The Hindu: "But with little being done by the government to build infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and improve public transport, a debate has begun on whether the event has been reduced to just another monthly ritual like Raahgiri."

Poor #publictransit in Pakistan is intentional aid to auto industry

The Express Tribune: "These incentives are likely to persuade foreign manufacturers to establish a footprint in Pakistan, where a sizeable demand exists, helped by low oil prices, availability of cheap financing and lack of an efficient public transport system. "

Public transport in Pakistan is a mess. Oil industry likes it that way

Dunya Blog: "Nowadays public transport is a lifeline of urban economy, but in our country situation is almost the opposite. In major cities of Pakistan, especially Rawalpindi and Islamabad, it has become an observable example of bad governance, lack of interest and inefficiency of the government, affecting lives of millions, particularly poor people who depend mainly on public transport on daily basis."

Anbumani Ramadoss promises free bus travel for all in Chennai

The Hindu: "Promising free bus travel for the residents of Chennai, Pattali Makkal Katchi’s Chief Ministerial candidate and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said the city needed an integrated public transport system for better connectivity.

On the sidelines of an interactive session on a new urban agenda for the Chennai Metropolitan Area, he announced that free bus travel will be implemented for all and the fleet of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation will be increased to 8,000 buses."

Ghaziabad to hold 2nd car-free day tomorrow

Business Standard News: "To encourage motorists to give up their cars for a day and use public transport, the city will hold a second car-free day tomorrow. "

Can Cubbon Park be free of traffic on all days?

deccanherald : "Cubbon Park is at the heart of Bengaluru’s green ecosystem. Making this green expanse traffic free on Sundays is part of the campaign to reclaim the city’s disappearing public spaces.

But can the park be made entirely free of vehicles on all days? This tricky question sparks a flurry of counter-questions, linked almost entirely to the challenges of traffic management in the park’s vicinity."

68 per cent respondents favour car-free day: Chandigarh Adviser

The Indian Express: "In the poll on mygov.in, 68 per cent of respondents are in favour of the car-free day to be introduced on March 20 while 32 per cent have voted against the concept."

India - cars don't move enough people to justify the road space they use

Times of India: "He said there was a huge outlay for construction of roads and national highways. "But emphasis should be given to allow more road space for public transport vehicles such as BEST buses in Mumbai," he said. A survey had shown that public transport buses carried more passengers, compared to private vehicles, but occupied not more than 15% road space. In Mumbai, the motor vehicle population has increased to 26 lakh, with more than 8 lakh being private cars, with most of them polluting city roads."

Chandigarh #carfree day will reduce congestion and parking issues

City Beautiful to be car-free on March 13: "Dev said the aim of observing the car-free day was to motivate people to opt for public transport and cycles and avoid taking cars for inter-sector work and get adapted to walking and running.
This would not only reduce traffic congestion and check the problem of parking space, it would also inspire more and more people to opt for alternative and healthier transport modes, said Dev."

Jayalalithaa announces free public transport for senior citizens

The Hindu: "The Chief Minister said the scheme would be implemented on a pilot basis in Chennai and would be expanded after studying the response. 

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, on Thursday, announced that senior citizens over the age of sixty could travel for free on government buses starting February 24. "

Road ahead: Improved public transport and results, says Gopal Rai

The Indian Express: "We have started work on procuring more buses. There will be an addition of 1,000 buses to the DTC fleet by April-end. These will be AC buses.
Another 1,000 will be added to the cluster. We have planned to bring 1,000 more buses in the premium segment.
There will be no standing facility in premium buses. All older DTC buses will be phased out by year-end."

There should be no such thing as free vehicle area

The Indian Express: "When we buy land, we pay for every square metre. Unfortunately, this isn’t so for a vehicle. When we buy a vehicle, we may pay a lot for registration, road tax, fuel taxes, etc. However, most of these charges are only indirectly and imprecisely linked to the vehicle’s area, and some not at all. The root cause of congestion is that we aren’t made to pay for the precise area we occupy. There should be no such thing as free vehicle area. "

Public transport high on ‘smart’ Bhubaneswar’s wishlist

The Indian Express: "“In all our polls, pubic transport emerged as the major issue with it securing 32 per cent of the votes. We have now around 100 buses rolling inside the municipal area. We plan to increase to 400 in next 4 years with provision of night service buses. The focus will be on making people use public transport more,” he said."

Public transport a better solution than odd-even scheme

business-standard : "Congestion came down temporarily. This was an inevitable positive outcome of the experiment but in the long-term decongestion too would require overhauling public transport. "

'Investment in Public Transport Can Help Resolve Traffic Woes'

The New Indian Express: "BENGALURU:  Traffic woes of a city like Bengaluru cannot be resolved without serious investment and focus on public transport mechanisms in the city."

‘Car-free Day’ on Jan 6, opt for a bicycle instead

Hindustan Times: "Taking cue from Delhi to reduce pollution and decongest city roads, deputy commissioner Varun Roojam will cycle to work and several senior judges and government officials will opt for carpooling to observe January 6 as a “car-free day”.
Speaking to HT, DC Roojam said, “Though a symbolic effort, I will go to work on Wednesday on a bicycle to spread the larger message of a traffic-free city that relies primarily on public transport, walking or cycling. Traffic has increased manifold in the city, and we all must give up our vehicles wherever possible.
...“A bicycle or two-wheeler takes almost negligible space as compared to a four-wheeler that uses approximately 10 feet of space on the road. Therefore, opting out of travelling in cars would not only decrease pollution but also decongest the city roads,” Virk added.”"

Allahabad: Poor public transport

The Indian Express: "Diesel city: As many as 7,000 new vehicles get registered every month. Experts say the worst offenders are the three-wheelers, which function as the main mode of transport in the city. All of them run on diesel. There are only 125 buses run by the municipal corporation. "