Urban transport in doldrums

Sushma Ramachandran

THE resignation of Uber Ceo Travis Kalanick has sent ripples globally as the billion-dollar unicorn has a presence in over 80 countries. The worries now being expressed are that the aggressive growth plans of founder-owner Kalanick may not be matched by those now coming to steer the company. This is the normal pattern for start-ups as founders have more passion for growth while those who come later seek to stabilise the enterprise and slow down unbridled expansion. 

Uber, of course, is no ordinary start-up. Described as the most valuable company in the world, its valuation is pegged at 69 billion dollars and from being the poster boy of unicorns, or ventures with a billion-dollar valuation, it is now being termed a "decacorn".

In India where Uber has not only been an aggressive player in many major cities, it spawned a worthy competitor in the homegrown Ola company. Taxiforsure, another early entrant, was swallowed up by Ola which took an early lead over the US-based giant. Now the two companies are battling for the Indian market which is estimated to be the third biggest after China and North America. And it may be worth 7 billion dollars by 2020, according to projections made by the Softbank group. 

The entry of Ola in 2010 and Uber in 2013 has led to a revolution in urban transport in this country. From being confined to either overcrowded buses or overpriced taxis, the urban traveller now has access to a relatively inexpensive mode of travel. Only Mumbai till now had cabs available at affordable prices for the middle classes. 

The other plus point for these cabs is the ease of travel for women. Despite the horrific incident of rape by an Uber car driver and despite several instances of molestation by Ola cab drivers, the cab aggregators are still considered the safest mode of travel for women in urban areas. Uber and Ola are reported to have stepped up their vigilance in hiring drivers as a result of these incidents. 

Besides, the fact that there is a GPS facility in each cab which can be accessed by women customers themselves as well as family and friends, ensures these cabs are the mode of choice for those who can afford them. The cab-sharing facility has also brought down the cost to extremely affordable levels. The comfort level is bound to be enhanced by the ousting of Kalanick and those close to him. Their sexist and misogynist comments as well as the attitude towards the rape victim in this country were major factors in the push for their exit by Uber investors. 

The issue of higher compensation to the drivers remains a point of strain between the cab aggregators and their partners, but this will have to be ironed out by the companies concerned. The cab drivers were clearly being compensated by both companies at a much higher level earlier in a bid to grab a higher market share. Bonus payments are now tapering off, but the aggregators will need to ensure that their partner drivers do not remain dissatisfied as repeated strikes could affect business.

The cab aggregators, however, are just one element of the urban transport scenario which continues to remain dismal. Few major cities have efficient mass transport systems. Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai have suburban rail systems and Delhi has its metro. But these are all becoming more and more crowded as migration from rural areas continues to make these metropolitan centres bigger by the day. Metros are rolling out in other cities too but their reach so far is limited as compared to the Capital which has an extensive network.

The basic bus networks, on the other hand, have been grossly neglected in most cities. Bigger cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta have large bus systems even though these are not able to keep pace with a growing urban population. The second-tier cities and smaller towns, on the other hand, are grappling with both paucity and quality of buses. Other vehicles like bicycle or auto rickshaws fill the gap in many areas but these are not devoid of hazards.

In the planning of smart cities, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu thus needs to take up this issue on a priority basis. Personalised transport vehicles seem to have been given greater importance in the development process, whether these are two-wheelers or passenger cars. Ratan Tata made the Nano purportedly for families that were riding on motorbikes. A better idea would have been to manufacture more comfortable and fuel-efficient buses so that many families could have travelled safely to their destinations. Not only that, dedicated bus lanes are imperative to enable the mass transport systems to move faster, as is being done in cities all over the world.

The urgency of finding urban transport solutions is highlighted by projections that nearly 50 per cent of the population could be living in cities by the year 2050. Apart from improving bus systems which are the basic mass transport need of most towns and cities, it is equally critical to find space for those who are walking and cycling. Road construction nowadays makes no space for the bulk of the people who are pedestrians or cyclists. Ensuring adequate curb space for the walker and creating special biking lanes must be part of the concept of the smart cities being devised for the future.

A holistic approach to the entire issue of urban transport needs to be taken right now as this is time when the government is looking at the entire concept of urbanisation in tandem with technological developments. Mass transport needs of the people need to be integrated into the smart cities concept. These will have to include the basic needs of the pedestrians and cyclists along with bus utilities that are far cheaper to set up than the metros. The bleak state of city transport systems will have to be rectified, however, not just in the selected smart cities but in all towns throughout the country. One can only hope that Mr. Naidu takes the opportunity now to put things in motion rapidly to resolve the chaos of urban transport today.