Traffic Congestion in the Metropolitan City of Kolkata

Abstract

There has been rapid urbanisation in the cities of India which has led to an increase in demand for mobility. Public transport has not been able to satisfy the transportation needs of the population leading to rise in vehicle ownership. The huge numbers of private vehicles, heterogeneous traffic and limited road space have led to the problem of congestion on the Indian city roads. The situation is no different in Kolkata. Kolkata has a high population density. The road space in Kolkata is only 6 per cent compared to Delhi and Mumbai, which have greater road space. High demand for mobility coupled with low road space leads to high congestion on the roads of Kolkata. This article tries to measure congestion on a few arterial roads of Kolkata through a congestion/mobility index.