NATIONAL URBAN TRANSPORT POLICY.pdf

NATIONAL URBAN TRANSPORT POLICY 2014 Present scene There is an urgent need to conserve energy and land, control pollution and ‘greenhouse gas emissions’, and to alleviate poverty. Urban transport (UT) is a significant cause and also a solution to these issues...

NATIONAL URBAN TRANSPORT POLICY 2014 Present scene There is an urgent need to conserve energy and land, control pollution and ‘greenhouse gas emissions’, and to alleviate poverty. Urban transport (UT) is a significant cause and also a solution to these issues. Hence planning and management of UT services and infrastructure require immediate attention. The growth story of India shall be written on the canvass of planned urban development and scripted with the instrument of planned urban mobility solutions. At present there is a huge deficit in UT services and infrastructure both in quality and quantity. The use of desirable modes; walk, bicycle and PT is declining and the use of undesirable modes i.e. car and 2-wheelers is growing. As a result congestion is increasing, urban mobility as well as road safety are declining and pollution, use of fossil fuel and accidents are rising by the day. Future scene The ongoing urbanization will make the situation worse in the ‘business as usual’ scenario. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a Delhi-based non- governmental organization (NGO), has forecast that India’s commercial energy demand and emissions will increase by about six to seven times by 2031-32 under ‘business as usual scenario’1 (if nothing is done to curb the emissions) from the levels in 2011. A committee setup by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on road safety and traffic management (February, 2007) has estimated about 50% increase in road accidents over a 10 year period (2005-15). Cities are important as they contribute most to the ‘gross domestic product’ (GDP) of a country. By 2030 this figure is estimated to grow to about 70%. UT is a key urban service that imparts efficiency to the city by providing mobility to the workforce and enables them to work at their productive best. UT needs urgent attention. Transport, Energy and Environment Transport sector is the second largest consumer of energy in India. Transport, Energy and Environment Transport sector is the second largest consumer of energy in India. Increasing car dependence in India especially in the urban areas is most visible at the local level – vehicular emissions causing air pollution, noise pollution, and corresponding health effects. Vision To recognize that people occupy center stage in our cities and all plans would be for their common benefit and well-being. To make our cities the most livable in the world and enable them to become the “engines of economic growth” that power India’s development in the 21st century. To allow our cities to evolve into an urban form that is best suited for the unique geography of their locations and is best placed to support the main social and economic activities that take place in the city. To encourage growth of urban transport along low carbon path. Objectives The objective of this policy is to plan for the people rather than vehicles by providing sustainable mobility and accessibility to all citizens to jobs, education, social services and recreation at affordable cost and within reasonable time. This will involve: Incorporating urban transportation as an important parameter at the urban planning stage rather than being a consequential requirement. Bringing about a more equitable allocation of road space with people, rather than vehicles, as its main focus PT should be citywide, safe, seamless, user friendly, reliable and should provide good ambience with well-behaved drivers and conductors. Walk and cycle should become safe modes of UT. Introducing Intelligent Transport Systems for traffic management Addressing concerns of road safety and trauma response Raising finances, through innovative mechanisms Establishing institutional mechanisms for enhanced coordination in the planning and management of transport systems. Building capacity (institutional and manpower) to plan for sustainable urban transport and establishing knowledge management system that would service the needs of all urban transport professionals, such as planners, researchers, teachers, students, etc. Approach Public Transport (PT) and urban roads (The main infrastructure for UT) have emerged as the most crucial elements together requiring more than 50% of the total projected investment to upgrade various urban services (including housing) in cities. This amounts to more than Rs. one lakh crore per year for the next 20 years. The estimate of the working group on UT for the ‘National Transport Development Policy Committee’ appointed by the Government of India to determine the role of UT in meeting transport requirements of the economy over the next two decades shows that the investment can be reduced by nearly 30 % by pro-actively promoting sustainable practices. Thus, a paradigm shift is needed in approach to UT with three key strategies, namely, ‘Avoid, Shift and Improve’ in transport planning as advocated by the Asian Development Bank in its draft ‘Action Plan to Make Transport in Developing Countries more Climate- Friendly’ and reiterated by the Bellagio Declaration 8 in May 2009. Improved urban mobility will help alleviate poverty. The World Bank publication (2002); ‘City on the Move; A world bank UT Strategy Review’ states that UT is the life blood of cities, and emerges as a subject of concern of all studies of the poor urban areas. Need For A National Policy Although the responsibility for management of urban areas (including UT) rests with the State governments, a Central policy is considered necessary as: Several key agencies such as Town & Country Planning Organization (TCPO), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Indian Roads Congress (IRC), Institute of Urban Transport (India), etc. that would play an important role in UT operate under the Central government, with no accountability to the State government Several Acts, Rules and Programs like Motor Vehicle Act, Metro Construction Act, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Viability Gap Funding, Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns, etc. which have important implications in dealing with UT issues, are administered by the Central Government A need exists to guide State level action plans within an overall National framework. A need exists to guide Central financial assistance towards improving urban mobility. A need exists to build capacity for UT planning and management, as also develop it as a professional practice. A need exists to take up research and development in UT. Urban Transport Planning Integrated Land Use and Transport Planning Planning should include both the city and the peri-urban areas and the regions. Around the city, which for legal purpose should be notified as local planning or metropolitan area. Compact cities, redevelopment of inner city areas, mixed land use pattern, etc. are some of the urban growth policies that will restrict transport demand. Conventional planning approach aims at flow of motor vehicle traffic. The most comprehensive definition of UT planning is ‘Accessibility’, the ability to reach desired goods, services and activities. It recognizes the value of more accessible land use patterns and mobility substitutes such as telecommuting and delivery services as ways to improve UT while reducing total physical travel. Urban Transport Planning Comprehensive Mobility Planning (CMP) Mobility in the city depends on several elements that can be broadly grouped into three categories i.e. i. Services and modes of UT, ii. Roads and related infrastructure, and iii. Other related matters such as planning, coordination and licensing. Urban Transport Planning Modal Mix and Priorities UT modes to be used and the modal mix will depend on the city population, city form and size, availability of road surface and the trip length. Needs of all category of users have to be catered. Priority in planning for modes should be as follows in descending order: i. Walk and Non- motorized transport (NMT), ii. PT; road, rail and waterways, iii. Personal motorized transport. Urban Transport Planning Transit Oriented Development The major element of TOD is a congregation of housing, jobs, shops, and other activities around PT stations/stops. The physical environment is often enhanced with wide sidewalks, an absence of surface parking lots and large building setbacks. Thus TOD includes planning for: i. More people to live close to transit services and to use it. ii. A rich mix of uses within walking distance of a PT station/stop iii. Pedestrian facilities and multi-modal connectivity with focus on moving people iv. iv. Making PT station/stop a gateway to the community. Urban Transport Planning Transportation Demand Management (TDM) There is a need to control the growth in transport demand because there is a limit to the augmentation of UT infrastructure and services. TDM constitutes a set of policies that influence why, when, where and how people travel. Commuters need to be made aware about the available sustainable alternate modes of travel. They should be made aware about quantifiable benefits or dis-benefits of opting for specific mode in terms of travel time, convenience, comfort, price, and emission rates. TDM aims to maximize the efficiency of UT by discouraging necessity of private vehicle use and promoting more effective, healthy and environment friendly modes of transport. Government of India, would financially support to implement TDM measures by cities. Urban Transport Planning Controlling the use of personal vehicles Use of personal motorized vehicles and its significant contribution to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and fossil fuel consumption are well accepted. Main reason for increasing use of personal vehicles is the gross deficiency in PT facilities both in terms of quality and quantity. Urban Transport Planning Planning for Freight Traffic As economic activities in cities expand and city population grows, a substantial amount of freight traffic would be generated. The timely and smooth movement of such freight is crucial to the well-being of the people and the viability of the economic activities they undertake. However, with limited capacity of the UT infrastructure, it is essential that freight traffic and passenger traffic are so staggered as to make optimum use of the UT infrastructure. Urban Transport Planning Service Level Benchmarks (SLB) There is a need to assess the benefits derived from investments in UT. The Government of India would financially encourage measurement of the level of service provided by UT services and infrastructure in the city before and after investments are made. For this purpose the guidelines for calculating SLBs issued by MoUD should be used. All future investment planned for a city should be directed towards initiatives which would improve the level of services. The SLB should also be reviewed biannually by the cities Urban Transport Planning Participatory Approach Public participation in planning increases the likelihood that actions taken or services provided by public agencies reflect the needs of the people and are accepted / adopted by people easily. The Government of India would encourage participatory approach which should be practiced at all levels – at city, sub area of the city, and community level. This may be done through an interactive website, issue of documents for consultation, workshop with citizen, advisory groups, public meetings, user group meetings, and social/satisfaction surveys. The table at attachment-A illustrates the objective, nature, form and method of participation by spatial level.