Panel suggests steps to decongest city

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 5

A high-powered committee on 'Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi' constituted by Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu has recommended a better use of existing road space, multi-model integration, better traffic management, paradigm shift from car-centric to people-centric planning for more use of public transport and saying 'no' to more flyovers.

The committee has also recommended effective parking pricing and congestion tax as key to discouraging use of private vehicles, no signal free corridors to ensure safety, focus on junction improvements and traffic dispersal.

It has recommended various other measures, including interventions worth Rs 20,000 crore through BRTS, walking and cycling infrastructure.

The inter-ministerial committee, headed by Rajiv Gauba, Secretary, Urban Development, with representatives from 19 different ministries and agencies of Union and Delhi governments, Delhi Police and all the urban local bodies held several rounds of deliberations and submitted a unanimous report on the ways and means to decongest traffic.

Pointing out that 21 per cent of city area is already under roads with limited scope for road network expansion, 60 per cent of passenger trips are below four kilometer distances and 80 per cent below six kilometer lengths which are ideal for non-motorised transport, the committee 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, footover bridges, under passes etc., 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. 

The committee also expressed 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. 

It called for various interventions over the next five years to enable 80 per cent share for public transport and non-motorised trips in total transportation in the city wherein the total passenger trips are estimated to increase to 280 lakh per day in 2021 from a mere 45 lakh trips in 1981, 118 lakh trips in 2001 and 144 lakhs in 2008. 

The committee said 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.

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.