Traffic congestion reflects economic growth in Asia but causes gridlocks and air pollution. Good public transport such as electric vehicles and metro lines are solutions while higher parking fees and fuel prices can encourage a switch to public transport.
By Ranjit Devraj
Traffic congestion in Asia’s burgeoning metropolises is a sign of rapid economic growth. But it carries with it harmful greenhouse emissions that warm the planet and toxic pollutants that affect health and quality of life.
As traffic gridlocks and vehicular pollution reach crisis levels, Asian governments must look for ways to encourage people to rely on public transport rather than their own cars and two-wheelers.
Road congestion costs Asian economies 2 to 5 per cent of GDP annually due to lost time and transport costs, according to an Asian Development Bank report (ADB). With about 44 million people being added annually to Asia’s cities, where most jobs and economic opportunities are found, the problem is reaching crisis proportions.
New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital, is currently enforcing a policy of seizing and destroying diesel-powered vehicles older than ten years and petrol-driven ones that have crossed a 15-year limit. Five million vehicles have been taken off Delhi’s roads over the last two years, representing a 35 per cent reduction.
Delhi has also been switching to electric-powered transport with 800 of its fleet of 3,700 state-owned buses already running on electricity. The Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy envisages that by the end of 2024 at least 25 per cent of all new vehicles registered in the city will be running on electricity.
Moreover, India’s capital has been augmenting its mass rapid transit system (Delhi Metro) which now has a network of 288 stations on 392 kilometres of colour-coded tracks. In 2022 an average of 2.5 million passengers rode the metro daily.
But the government says that a growing preference for personal transport has stymied these efforts and contributed to making Delhi the country’s largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions.
Parking management
In Bangkok, where buses and bicycles have given way to private cars thanks to increasing wealth, authorities have been improving bus fleets and extending the metro network. There is also better integration of road and rail systems with ferries plying on the iconic Chao Phraya River and the canals that feed into it.
Thailand’s capital city has also resorted to pricing measures such as increased parking charges to encourage use of public transport. One study shows that Bangkok’s parking management and inner-city tolls could serve as a model for other South-East Asian countries that are rapidly urbanising and motorising. Other control options such as work-from-home policies and flexible working hours are being considered in the city.
However, since stiffer parking tariffs and higher taxes on fuel are unpopular with the public, the best bet seems to be investing in transport infrastructure that provides safe, convenient and affordable rides and supports economic growth that is resilient, sustainable and productive.
The Philippines has been following that route, extending the metro network and upgrading bus services with support from the ADB which has lending portfolios worth US$11.48 billion for urban transport infrastructure. The bank has committed to a US$1-billion loan to fund Metro Rail Transit Line 4 which will have ten stations along a new 13.4-kilometer line.
The country is also halfway to delivering its first mass underground transport system. The US$7 billion 33 kilometre long subway in Metro Manila is expected to serve 800,000 passengers a day when completed in 2027 with the first phase finished around the second half of 2025.
Urbanisation, economic development
Meanwhile, authorities are trying to shield the riding public from the city gridlock by implementing a bus rapid system where public buses have a dedicated lane, separate from other road traffic. Enforcers are seen on the news trying to catch violators daily who try to use the bus lane illegally.
Indonesia’s Jakarta, another Asian city that is investing in quality public transportation systems, is integrating improved rail and bus services through efficient interchange points. As with Delhi, there are plans to convert the transport fleet to run on electricity.
Urbanisation and economic development may be a magnet for people from remote areas, adding to congestion, but the accompanying economic growth offers new opportunities to generate the funds needed to improve public transport facilities.
Fifty-four per cent of the global urban population, or more than 2.2 billion people, live in Asia and by 2050, this figure is expected to grow by 50 per cent to 3.4 billion people, according to UN Habitat.
Real-time traffic data
The good news is that the growth of sensor technologies and wireless Internet networks has immensely helped improve traffic management using applications such as real-time traffic maps that help researchers and funders to identify where to put the money.
Access to real-time traffic data over platforms like Google Maps has facilitated the development of congestion indicators across many Asian cities and made it possible to measure traffic levels and correlate them with such factors as population concentration. They help motorists to steer away from congested routes.
For those who don’t like to walk under the punishing tropical heat and humidity or in rainy conditions going to public transport stations, there are app-based services like Uber and Grab which allow passengers to hail a ride from anywhere. Such services are cheaper and more convenient than owning, driving and maintaining personal cars.
There are no easy solutions, but planners can leverage new technologies to improve urban life and productivity while addressing the problem of toxic and global warming emissions. If not, they are going to miss the bus.
This piece has been sourced from SciDev.Net
Image: joiseyshowaa (CC BY-SA 2.0)
