In most places, hawkers and shops have taken over the footpaths; besides, different departments dig them up for installing electric poles, transmission lines and transformers.
Citizen groups have strongly opposed the proposed 2.1 km Bal Bharati-Paud Phata link road through Vetal Tekadi and the slopes of Law College Tekadi, home to rare flora and fauna species.
A year-long survey done in 2019 conducted by ITDP found that Mumbaikars spent an average of 85 minutes daily stuck in traffic. That also means an estimated productivity loss of over Rs 3600 crores per annum. Is congestion pricing the solution?
On one hand, there is a thirst for bigger and more expensive cars. On the other, there is the state’s inability to provide strong enough disincentives and efficient alternatives. Together these are destroying our cities and our communities slowly but steadily. What is the way out?
Citizens look for mainly three factors when it comes to public transportation: efficiency, accessibility, and affordability. Sadly, Indian cities have been ignoring all three, leading to an explosion of private vehicles on our streets and all the associated problems.
In 2018, pedestrians comprised more than 50% fatalities on Mumbai streets; the numbers for Delhi and Bangalore stood at 44% and 40%. Our streets have turned into a battlefield between cars and citizens, and citizens almost always lose.
Thanks to lack of political will and unfortunate US-style aspiration, we have arrived at a sad state of affairs as far as urban mobility is concerned. In this first of a four-part series, the author explains the latent inequality and hierarchy in our city streets.
The old British built Jagraon bridge, that shared the traffic, has been closed since 2016, so that the new bridge sees pile up lasting for hours at peak times. Work on a new bridge, however, remains in limbo, as do many other infrastructure projects in the city.
Summer heat in the northern plains sees tourists flocking in huge numbers to Shimla, Kullu-Manali and the scenic Rohtang Pass. But just look at what it does to the ecology and the regular lives of citizens here.
Water, waste, traffic: A post-election chat with voters in Bhubaneswar, which went to polls on April 23rd, reveals that these nagging civic issues are what they expect their MP to take up and address!
As election discourse heats up, many political parties promise to make urban mobility, public transport key areas of focus. But do they walk the talk? What does the proposal for an elevated corridor in Bengaluru say about the search for sustainable mobility solutions?
Perpetually under construction, these projects cause regular bottlenecks for traffic in Delhi and paint a telling picture of what makes driving around the capital city such a nightmare.
Most public bus units in our cities have run into huge losses. Yet, fare increase would make buses unaffordable for the ones who need them the most. Can the state step in and find a way for them to be accessible as well as economically viable?
To protest potholes, axe-wielding men of the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) dig up a well-laid footpath. Government authorities evict vendors from station premises and allow car parking in the space. Who cares for the pedestrian in Mumbai?
Park your car in front of your home and pay. Pay more during peak hours, and many other rules. Some decry it as plain unfair, others feel it’s the only solution to traffic and pollution. Ironically, many Delhiites are not even aware that this is in force!
