How to nudge people into using public transport

Not solving private vehicle congestion is a disincentive as long as a public transport alternative is provided priority lanes and moves faster than the private vehicles.

Private vehicle growth has choked cities and caused massive loss in productivity. With a growing population, moving to mass transport is the only way to avoid further congestion. But there are inconveniences in choosing public transport. One is the need to make multiple changes which means the transition needs to be smooth. Second, Public Transport never drops you at your doorstep. There is always a last mile which would have to be covered by walk or some other mode. Let’s for a moment assume this last mile segment is solved; as a choice architect, what can the state do to nudge people away from private vehicles, into public transport?

  1. Mention ‘walk time’ to the nearest bus/train station at the exits of prominent landmarks and heavy foot traffic areas. This makes the people consider taking the bus/train before deciding to step into an Auto/Taxi or calling a driver. For example, at a mall exit, one could add a signboard to indicate the distance to the nearest bus stop, and perhaps even which areas are connected to it: “2 minutes to BDA bus stop; Connections to Outer Ring Road and Jayanagar”
  2. Private transport disincentive is a key strategy. This can be in the form of congestion pricing and high parking fees. This has worked very effectively in most countries. Even not solving private vehicle congestion is a disincentive as long as a public transport alternative is provided priority lanes and moves faster than the private vehicles.
  3. Show the true cost of private vehicle use, including pollution and time wasted in traffic, as an index (calculated daily) on TV/Radio/Newspaper prominently, that people could check before leaving for work.
  4. Encourage employers to provide bus/train pass as a part of the salary. Employees need to opt out of the pass every month if they want to claim the money instead.
  5. Make public transport stations attractive with facilities surrounding them. Stations/stops with information on things to do in the neighbourhood and utilities like ATM/Restaurants/Bike stand etc. incentivise people to use it.

Sathya Sankaran is the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru and advocates for cycling and non-motorised forms of transport. This article was written as part of the AIC community media project at Co Media Lab, in partnership with Deakin University and IdeoSync, first published on Co-media Lab and republished here with required permissions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

‘MLA workload increased by 50% after delayed BMC elections:’ Incumbent candidate Amin Patel

Amin Patel, the top ranked MLA from Mumbadevi, speaks about his performance, challenges and promises ahead of assembly elections.

Soon after the Parliamentary elections, Maharashtra starts preparing for Assembly elections. The state has 288 assembly seats and of these 36 are in Mumbai. Though the number is small, Mumbai remains significant as the financial capital of the country and a metro that attracts lakhs of people for work.   Mumbadevi is one of the oldest and most diverse areas of Mumbai, represented by incumbent MLA Amin Patel (Congress) for three consecutive terms. The area comprises Grant Road, Girgaum, Dongri, Tardeo, Umarkhadi, Bhuleshwar, and Nagpada.  Amin Patel is a top-ranked MLA, according to the report card brought out by Praja Foundation,…

Similar Story

Mumbai: Who gets to be ‘Ladki Bahin’ and who gets left behind?

Without documents like ration cards and Aadhaar cards, marginalised communities in Thane fail to access schemes meant for them.

“Are we not 'ladki bahins' too?” wonder some women from migrant families of Chinchpada, Airoli in Thane. When the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched, these low-income families hoped to benefit from the scheme, which promises women a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 if their family’s annual income does not exceed Rs 2,50,000. This initiative seems like it would offer some relief to low-income migrant worker families in Chinchpada. However, it raises the question: who qualifies as a 'Ladki Bahin' (ladki bahin means dear sister)? A key barrier is the lack of essential documentation, such as Aadhaar cards,…