Improving Safety in New Delhi Through Public Multi-Modal Transport Systems

Authors

Shreya Rastogi, School of Management

Karim Hijazi, College of Liberal Arts

Cole Higgins, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Imagine walking to the bazaar to buy groceries for dinner. A speedy two-wheeler zips past, and you can hear the continuous and scattered honking of cars near the main road, off in the distance. You reach the vegetable stall as you notice an elderly woman and her granddaughter paying the auto-rickshaw driver and proceeding to pick vegetables next to you. In the midst of bargaining on the price of carrots, you hear the shrill cry. A motorcyclist had unfortunately trampled a bicyclist on the narrow road.

Transportation can be dangerous if not handled correctly. In fact, the situation described above is close to reality for the people in New Delhi. From 2017 to 2019, in Figure 1, over 450,000 people in India died due to road accidents. [1] Furthermore, the infrastructure of New Delhi promotes a dependence on private transportation, which leads to a high amount of traffic. Increased traffic then increases the number of road deaths, especially for people whose safety is not supported by the other modes of transportation and road infrastructure. When city planners construct road infrastructure to fit the needs of personal vehicles rather than people, these people are put at a greater risk of crashes which can result in injury or death. As seen in the figure, in 2019, about 33% of deaths involved two-wheelers, and another 14% of deaths involved pedestrians. [2] This is likely because walking and driving two-wheelers are some of the most common ways to travel short distances. Additionally, these modes of transportation leave people more susceptible to injury as they provide relatively low protection compared to other modes such as cars, trains, or buses. One solution to reduce the dangers of transportation is to employ the use of multimodal public transportation.

GAPS IN POLICIES

To determine what actions the government has taken to tackle issues in personal safety with regards to transportation, we delve into some prominent government policies and identify some areas of improvement. The National Urban Transportation Policy of 2006 had a vision to move people rather than vehicles. Ideally, this was to be done through expanding road space for public transportation, improving traffic performances through management, and mitigating the growth of private vehicles in the city. [3] Although New Delhi has implemented stricter road rules since then, traffic congestion is still prevalent as the growth of private vehicles continues. The Smart Cities Mission of 2015 was set in place to improve the quality of life of residents in cities by promoting sustainable environments and smart solutions in public transportation. They wanted to do this by introducing smart parking and intelligent multimodal systems. [4] However, these implementation strategies are arguably counterproductive to the vision of the policy since smart parking would likely be implemented in communities or public spaces with parking garages, which again promotes private vehicle use and does not help mitigate traffic.

Figure 1: Reproduced from Verma, Ashish, Harsha Vajjarapu, and Gayathri Subramanian. Mode-Wise Road Accident Comparison 2017-2019. September 25, 2021.

National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC84754 67/#Sec6title.

Furthermore, the Metro Rail Policy of 2017 highlights the demand for high quality public transportation systems to cater to the urban population growth. With the metro system being the backbone of an integrated multimodal system, the policy envisioned incorporating other forms of public transportation under this system. In 2017, New Delhi saw a significant expansion in its highway system, which is another identified opportunity for integration within the proposed system. [5] And finally, the Motor Vehicles Act of 2019 (an amendment to the same act from 1988) increased penalties for violations on the streets, [6] hopefully decreasing injuries related to personal motor vehicle/two-wheeler use. Being cognizant of the steps that have been taken to tackle issues in personal safety in transportation and identifying the steps that can be taken to improve the existing policies may aid in improving traffic flow and traffic-induced injuries in New Delhi.

What is Multimodal Transportation?

Multimodal access to public transportation should be a fundamental design cue to any urban designer or civil engineer, regardless of the city. It is a great way to utilize various modes of transportation to make urban living more efficient and safer for people residing in the area or more appealing of a move for people wanting to relocate to a more urban area. [7] Multimodal transportation makes urban living a hassle-free experience, especially for people who choose not to drive as their primary mode of transportation. Therefore, incorporating a modern and functional form of multimodal access to public transit will help people who prefer other forms of transportation, i.e., personal modes.

A multimodal public transportation system is very accommodating, given how many modes are permitted and can be utilized daily. However, while the modes of transportation are accommodating, the city's infrastructure must also accommodate the people. In an ideal scenario, there would be various factors in the land surrounding the central public transportation center. Firstly, if it is an outdoor station for the bus or train, there should be many benches for people to sit on if they are there for a while. [8] Secondly, the sidewalks, bike paths, and multi-purpose lanes need to connect or flow nicely with the public transport hub or station; so people can quickly get off their personal vehicles easily and safely. [9] Thirdly, there should be greater access to bike and scooter parking in the stations so people can safely park their bikes or scooters and proceed on their route with public transportation. [10] However, suppose people want to avoid parking their bikes (or other forms of personal vehicles at the station). In that case, the service they want to take should accommodate that and provide enough space for them and their vehicle. There should also be various amenities offered at the stations for users to use, such as showers and changing rooms.

There are various advantages to a functional system of public multimodal transportation. Firstly, there are countless health benefits to promoting the use of personal non-motorized modes to get around a city. Since people will be walking or cycling around, residents will have increased cardiovascular exercise. Increased cardiovascular exercise has many benefits: better overall brain function, better joint longevity, decreased chances of heart diseases, and reduced likelihood of heart attacks. [11] It is also one of the most efficient ways to lose weight. [12] Another great advantage of having a functional multimodal system in urbanized areas is its positive environmental effect. The significant impact it will have on the environment stems from improving air quality in cities like New Delhi and reducing greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. For instance, the EPA's Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions report stated that the year 2017 reported nearly 17% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States came from automobiles, pick-up trucks, and light utility

Recent Developments and Achievements

With regard to multimodal transportation in New Delhi and improving safety, there have been many recent developments and achievements. These achievements have been reached by various groups and people, ranging from large tech companies to urban designers and engineers. This shows how great of a market multimodal modes of public transportation are, as more and more people are trying to get involved to help make New Delhi as safe and accommodating as possible. The first key achievement was made by the Urban Designers of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). They successfully incorporated various forms of transportation for travelers to use at the Chhatarpur metro station, which is a part of the Delhi Metro Network. This successful integration of multimodal transport in Chhatarpur is vital for the future of public transportation in New Delhi, as they were able to merge various forms of transportation for citizens to use seamlessly. For instance, they added more cycling and walking paths, more accessible access for automobiles to pick and drop people off, designated parking for rickshaws to pick and drop people off, more parking for bicycles and cars, and barrier-free safe pedestrian parking. [14] By incorporating safer bike paths, walking paths, and designated parking, the Chhatarpur Station is becoming a much safer and more accommodating place, as people who use bikes and walk no longer will have to walk or cycle on the street; instead, they will have their own safely designated lane. Hopefully, DMRC will recognize how useful this is for the safety of their passengers, and they will incorporate these lanes into their other stations.

The second key achievement and development was made by a high-tech New Delhi firm called SmartE. Their primary focus revolves around making traveling around busy cities easy with their recent development of electric rickshaws. Like your regular rickshaw they can hold up to two passengers plus the driver, but these rickshaws rely on a rechargeable battery to move them around. It is very similar to electric scooters, but they can hold more people. SmartE, alongside the DMRC, successfully integrated these electric rickshaws into various metro stations along the Delhi metro network. [15] There are a lot of significant advantages that come with these electric rickshaws.

Firstly, they are a great mode of transportation for “last mile” travel, meaning people will utilize this service for traveling to a place that is close by or within a mile radius of the metro station, they can go farther, but this is what they are primarily used for. Secondly, since they are electric, they help reduce overall emissions that would otherwise be polluted in the air by cars or motorcycles. Thirdly, they are a safer alternative to ordinary rickshaws or taxis.

They are equipped with a real-time GPS tracker, and all the drivers are professionally trained to operate the machine. Lastly, they are reported to have reduced last-mile transpiration by nearly 75%, meaning they are very cost-efficient and affordable for all users. [16] These electric rickshaws are a great innovation and will help thousands of travelers daily. These are only some of the key achievements that have been happening in New Delhi regarding Multimodal transportation, and they are truly outstanding. The metro stations in New Delhi are becoming increasingly modern, efficient, and safe, and these key achievements are only the start of what is to come.

Chhatarpur Metro station

Ashish itct is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

THE FUTURE OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND PERSONAL SAFETY IN NEW DELHI

As New Delhi works to improve transportation, it can look to other cities and programs that have implemented multimodal integration. For example, the Vastral Ring in Ahmedabad, Gujrat, effectively tackles the safety problem for pedestrians crossing the street. Its circular design allows pedestrians to safely bypass traffic on the highway from four sides through stairs, elevators, and escalators, making it accessible for all types of people, including the elderly and disabled. Additionally, it is optimally located near the metro, and public bus stops, where a multimodal integration of public transportation can occur. [17] To focus on New Delhi’s actions in particular, the Station Access and Mobility Program (STAMP) recently launched a new challenge in 2022 where start- ups in the area would submit their proposal and work to tackle issues in public transportation safety. STAMP wants to “drive multimodal integration and data-driven transport planning across the city” with two main projects. [18] They want to create a mobility-as-a-service platform allowing commuters to plan their travel in and out of the city in advance. They also want to leverage existing last-mile services like SmartE to improve metro connectivity and accessibility through such partnerships. [19] With new programs like these, hopefully, the future of New Delhi entails a seamless integration of multimodal transportation systems that empower individuals to feel safe while using public transportation.

Non-polluting transport solutions such as the electric eco-rickshaw in Agra, India, improve air quality and reduce emissions

USAID_IMAGES is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Ahmedabad Vastral Ring

Parmar, Jignesh. July 18, 2021. Ahmedabad Mirror. https://ahmedabadmirror.com/first- pedestrian-overbridge-with-4-escalators-2- lifts/81803411.html.

REFERENCES

[1] Ashish Verma, Vajjarapu Harsha, and Gayathri Harihara Subramanian, “Evolution of Urban Transportation Policies in India: A Review and Analysis.” “Transportation in Developing Economies” (Springer International Publishing, 2021), 9. [2] Verma et al, 9. [3] Verma et al, 5. [4] Verma et al, 6. [5] Verma et al, 8. [6] Verma et al, 8. [7] U.S. Department of Transportation, “Multimodal Access to Public Transportation” (United States Government, 2015) [8] Steve Dearing, “The Future of Transportation Part 4: Anticipating Changes in Multimodal Transportation” (OHM, 2022) [9] Dearing, “The Future of Transportation Part 4 …” [10] Dearing, “The Future of Transportation Part 4 …” [11] Heart and Vascular Team, “From Head to Toe: The Benefits of a Cardio Workout” (Cleveland Clinic, 2021) [12] Tennessee Department of Health, “Multimodal Transportation” (Tennessee State Government, 2017) [13] The United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Smart Growth and Transportation” (United States Government, 2020) [14] International Association of Public Transport, “Two Indian Projects Win Special Recognition Awards in UTIP GPTS 2019” (UTIP, 2019) [15] International Association of Public Transport, “Two Indian Projects Win…” [16] International Association of Public Transport, “Two Indian Projects Win…” [17]. Jignesh Parmar, “First Pedestrian Overbridge with 4 Escalators, 2 Lifts.” (Ahmedabad Mirror, 2021) [18] Subhadeep Bhattacharjee, “STAMP Delhi 2022.” (WRI India, 2021), 1. [19] Bhattacharjee, “STAMP Delhi 2022.”