Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

226
Natural and human-made disasters
Box 9.7 Challenges and opportunities for a sustainable transport system in Delhi, India
…road users may
not give up use of
private cars easily
In some respects, Delhi has led the way in sustainable transport. In
others, progress has been less comprehensive. Some 77 per cent of
Delhi’s population (about 10 million people) live in inadequate
housing, many in inner-city slums or peripheral informal
settlements. This majority group of the city’s population relies
mainly on public transport, walking or bicycles for travel. A total of
50 per cent of the city’s residents can only afford non-motorized
transport. There are estimated to be 1.5 million bicycles and
300,000 cycle-rickshaws in the city. Public transport in Delhi is
provided mainly by buses, which make up only 1 per cent of the
city’s vehicles, but serve about half of all transport demand. Since
1992, the private sector has played an increasing role in bus transport.
Privatization has increased the size of the bus fleet; but buses
continue to be overcrowded and poorly maintained.
A key challenge within Delhi’s transport system is
overcoming the negative stereotypes about non-motorized forms
of transport that are too easily seen as being anti-modern or as a
cause of traffic congestion. On the contrary, non-motorized forms
of transport are less dangerous and more sustainable forms of
transport. Encouraging non-motorized transport and providing
safety from the hazard generated by motor vehicles while preventing
congestion is problematic.
Where investments in traffic improvements have occurred,
they repeatedly promote mechanized transport and further
marginalize more environmentally sustainable and pro-poor modes,
such as walking, cycling and good quality public transport. The city
government has enhanced its worldwide reputation and markedly
improved air quality through the transition of public transport to
compressed natural gas; but similar innovation and leadership are
harder to see in city transport planning that can serve the poor
majority.
Road systems in Delhi and other Indian cities can be
redesigned to meet the needs of the poor majority and increase
road safety. Road geometry and traffic management can be altered
to better reflect the diversity of road users, with an emphasis on
the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. Delhi
is fortunate in having many wide roads with additional service lanes
that could be converted into segregated space for pedestrians,
bicycles and motorized vehicles. Segregated traffic systems are
likely to reduce congestion and ease traffic flow if such a policy is
implemented.
Source: ORG, 1994; Tiwari, 2002
Rationalizing road
space allocation by
accommodating
commonly used
forms of transportation
… may help to
reduce traffic
accidents
Promoting public transportation use in place of
private vehicles may prove difficult, in practice. In richer
countries, a range of techniques are available, often best
applied in tandem, to provide disincentives for private car
use (such as environmental fuel levies or congestion charges)
and incentives for a switch to public transport (such as
improved service, park-and-ride schemes, easily available
information on timetables, and low fares). Deregulation and
the consequent involvement of the private sector in public
transport provision have enabled innovation in public transport
service provision within European countries. 49
However, even where public transportation infrastructure
and services are available in richer countries, road users may
not give up the use of private cars easily. For example, a
study in London (UK) illustrated how perceptions that alternatives
to the car are not viable and long distances between
work and home discourage widespread use of these
services. 50 Intra-urban economic inequalities within developed
country cities may also cause differentiated uptake and
implementation of policies seeking to promote non-motorized
transport. For instance, a study in Auckland (New
Zealand) shows how the Walking School Bus scheme,
whereby children are escorted by volunteers between home
and school to protect them from traffic accidents, was more
widely adopted in affluent neighbourhoods. 51 In poorer
countries, public transport systems are often in a state of
collapse and may not offer greater safety than private transport
options. Furthermore, private vehicle users in
developing countries from middle- and high-income groups
may not be willing to sacrifice the comforts and convenience
of personal transport. 52
■ Safer transport infrastructure
Road infrastructure design –- in terms of road networks, mix
of types of traffic and types of safety measures – determines
the likelihood of traffic accidents occurring in urban areas.
Road design and facilities influence driver behaviour through
amenities such as curves, gradients, road markings and the
provision of facilities for vulnerable road users. Initiatives
that can readily be used without major re-planning of urban
neighbourhoods include the installation of traffic lights,
pedestrian-only streets, lighting, bus lanes, pedestrian
walkways, video monitoring of traffic and speed bumps. 53 It
is important to maintain the goodwill of road users when
implementing such road safety measures. For example, the
importance of drivers’ acceptance of automatic speed
limiters in order to implement the policy has been illustrated
in a study undertaken in Leeds (UK). 54
Vulnerable road users are disadvantaged in modern
road systems, most of which are designed to cater for motor
vehicles. 55 If road design does not take into account the
needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and public transport vehicles,
they will still use infrastructure that is not designed for them
– hence, increasing accident risks for all road users. 56
Rationalizing road space allocation by accommodating
commonly used forms of transportation, such as two- and
three-wheeled vehicles and non-motorized transport, may
help to reduce traffic accidents. For instance, the construction
of a segregated lane for bicycles in Delhi would increase
the road space available for motorized traffic by 50 per cent
on three-lane roads while meeting the needs of bicyclists.
The provision of a high-capacity bus lane would increase
capacity by 56 to 73 per cent; while the inclusion of separate