Urban Transport Priorities: Meeting the Challenge of Socio-economic Diversity in Cities, a Case Study of Delhi, India

Abstract

Non-motorized transport is an integral element of urban transport in Indian cities. More than 50% of the city residents cannot afford any other mode of transport unless heavily subsidized. Therefore, non-motorized transport has to be given equal priority in designing the urban infrastructure. This paper uses Delhi, India as a case study to indicate that the existing urban transport infrastructure in cities does not meet the needs of a large number of city residents who remain outside the formal planning process. This leads to sub-optimal conditions for all modes of transport. An efficient bus system cannot be designed without taking care of the slow vehicles (non-motorized vehicles, NMVs) on the road. Since sustainable transport systems in Indian cities demand the movement of large number of people by bus transport and NMVs, planning for the latter is indispensable. Planning for non-motorized transport and integrating it with the other modes of city transport is a prerequisite for creating sustainable transport systems, thus leading to sustainable cities.