Nitin Seth

Discussion synopsis from Citizen Consultation by GMDA, October 26, 2018

Yesterday GMDA (Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority) along with Janaagraha organized a Citizen Townhall for consultation on liveability metrics. I joined the session on Mobility and our task was to develop Metrics for Mobility that administration could focus on. We had a very good discussion, both informed and passionate. Sharing the key highlights from our session that we presented back to GMDA team:

The Core Problem

To define the Mobility Metrics we decided that we had to identify the core problem to solve. In absence of clarity of Objectives, there is a risk that “conventional” Metrics could point in the wrong direction!!

Every citizen faces Mobility problems, and perhaps does so on a daily basis – traffic jams / slow moving traffic, poor road conditions, safety concerns, lack of adherence to traffic rules, all of this exacerbated by pollution (a linked problem) leading to stress and frustration. Everybody has a view on the problem and suggestions on solutions. However, this is a complex “system” (many inter-connected parts) problem, and to solve it we have to get to the core of the problem.

Public Planners across the world have analyzed this problem and many cities have solved it. The core problem is simple: too many cars. Cars are the most inefficient way of carrying traffic as they occupy highest volume of road space per passenger transported. Unfortunately, we are stuck in a vicious cycle. Cars are a visible symbol of consumerism, a sign of prestige and power especially in a developing country like India.  In addition, we have poor infrastructure for public and non-motorized transportation.  This leads to ever increasing number of cars that require more roads, flyovers and parking spaces. All of this comes at a cost – it crowds out green areas, spaces for walking & cycling and increases safety challenges. This further makes non-motorized alternatives to cars more difficult and reinforces cars as the only viable option, thus reinforcing the vicious cycle.

Therefore, the core problem to be addressed is very clear:

• Reduce Cars
• Increase Public Transportation, Walking & Cycling

This statement is very important because the Mobility debate is often driven from the lens of the car owner and the problems them face!

Mobility Metrics / “KPIs”

GMDA had proposed 4 metrics. We dropped 2, kept 2 and added 4 new ones focusing on those that aligned best with the Core Problem we had identified.

Here are the two metrics we dropped and why:

• % of Gurgaon covered by roads – is a supply side metric, does not connect back to desired outcomes
• Time spent in slow moving traffic – is a “car centric” metric. Would likely lead to creation of infrastructure that further crowds out public transportation and walking & cycling

Here are the 6 metrics for improving mobility that we recommended to GMDA:

1. % of travellers using Public Transportation
2. What % of the road length is Walking & Cycling friendly
3. Average Time Taken per Trip – esp. for Home to Work
4. Average Cost per Trip
5. Safety – e.g., No. of accidents
6. Enforcement – e.g., working traffic lights, signages & road markings, number of “challans”

Approach for improving Mobility

Establishing Mobility Metrics is a step in the right direction but that alone will not solve the Mobility challenges we face in Gurugram and most other cities in India. Improving Mobility is a tough problem for the following reasons:

• It is a complex, “system” problem with many inter-connected parts. Solving just one aspect is unlikely to solve for the overall throughput of the system
• It is a paradigm shift from the current planning logic, which is “car centric”. The planning biases (e.g., more roads & flyovers as the default solution) are deeply embedded and difficult to change
• Requires significant investment into Public Transportation (e.g., metro, bus service) and where establishing ROI is not easy
• Impact is not quick and initiatives have to be sustained over a period of time

Given the above, it is time that we move from incremental and tactical initiatives to a more top-down and integrated approach to Mobility:

• Starting point has to be an Integrated Mobility Plan that solves for design and provision of multi-modal transportation infrastructure, addresses connectivity between different modes and last mile coverage issues, and design of safe pedestrian and cycling tacks. In addition, the Integrated Mobility Plan needs to connected with the Urban development plan to ensure the city is being developed in a balanced way
• I strongly believe we need to significantly elevate the conversation on Mobility to a national priority. Our cities are in such a poor condition that mere local administration driven initiatives will not have much impact and also likely not sustain for long. Ensuring our cities are sustainable and Mobility as key driver of that has to be become part of the national agenda. Agenda for Sustainable Cities & Mobility has to be lifted to the same level of national focus and prominence as Digital India and Swachh Bharat. Only then will we see the required paradigm shift in planning intent and significant initiatives resulting from it.

While I have made a strong case for Top Down focus, there is also great value in bottom-up initiatives and actions by local administration and citizen groups. Local administration needs to focus on upkeep of roads, enforcement and road safety. Citizen groups need to partner with the local administration, raise concerns in a constructive fashion, and also take initiative to promote walking & cycling. This demand generation and awareness building is particularly important. As the bottom-up initiatives are sustained they reach a critical mass and put pressure on administration across the chain to act. Press also has a very important role to play in creating awareness. So, while time has come for significant top-down, structured planning and initiatives, bottom-up initiative taking is also very important and actually mutually synergistic.

Gurugram has been at the forefront of many such citizen driven initiatives like Raahgiri Day, CarFree Tuesdays and importantly the Aravali Bio Diversity Park (not directly Mobility but such a wonderful initiative impacting the environment). I see very positive collaboration between citizen groups, corporate sector (led by NASSCOM) and local administration in Gurugram. This city has its problems but is not short on positive intent and people from all walks of live willing to stand up and take positive actions. That is why I feel very positive about the city and believe this is the right city to launch a national mission of building sustainable cities with mobility at the core!!

Jai Hind!!