IDEAS FOR THE NEXT GOVERNMENT: PRIORITISE PUBLIC TRANSPORT The Observer Research Foundation Mumbai (Orf Mumbai) and the Mumbai Transport Forum (MTF) today held a brainstorming meeting on long-term solutions to the transportation woes of Mumbai - and of urban India in general. The meeting, which lasted over three hours, resolved to bring out a report to urge the next government at the Centre to radically shift the focus from private (car-centric) transport to public transport. Participants in the meeting were unanimous in their view that Indias current priorities in transportation are heavily loaded in favour of promotion of private transport. The needs and problems of a vast majority of the urban population are badly neglected. This is unacceptable in a democracy. (Transportation problems of rural India were not discussed in the meeting.) It was also unanimously felt that transportation needs of the general public (access, affordability, time spent, comfort, safety) cannot be properly planned without taking into account equitable and scientific land-use planning for housing, workplaces, open spaces and multiple amenities for the benefit of all citizens. In the context of Mumbai, comprehensive, integrated and multi-modal transportation planning is needed for the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), covering railways, metro, bus service, taxi service, cycling, walking and water transport. Protection of the environment must be a key guiding principle in determining long-term transportation solutions. The report will highlight global best practices and success stories in public transport, transit-oriented development, parking reforms, promotion of pedestrian rights, development of digital infrastructure and IT-enabled services to reduce unnecessary travel, inter-city transport, etc. I said in the meeting that strong political will is needed to effect a major change in the priorities of the government in transportation in favour of equity, efficiency and the needs of the common people. The following people participated in the meeting: Rishi Aggarwal, Vijayshree Pednekar, Dhaval Desai, Anay Joglekar, Sudheendra Kulkarni (all from ORF Mumbai); Ashok Datar, Harsh Mistry, Jai Bhadgaonkar (all from Mumbai Environmental Social Network); Darryl DMonte (Chairperson of the Forum of Environmental Journalists of India); Sudhir Badami, A.V. Shenoy and Chetan Bordawekar (all from MTF); Chetan Temkar (smartshehar); Pearl Edmund (Karmayog); Sonam Saigal (One India One People). AN APPEAL: Those who have ideas and suggestions to contribute to this effort are most welcome to contact my colleagues Rishi Aggarwal ([email protected]) and Vijayshree Pednekar ([email protected])
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 11:29:57 +0000
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