Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) and India’s Urban Mobility

IN NEWS:

• Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the first leg of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), India’s first mass rapid system dedicated to regional connectivity.

MORE ON NEWS:

• The PM inaugurated the 17-km-long priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor at the Sahibabad RapidX Station in Uttar Pradesh.
• Trains of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will be known as 'NaMo Bharat'.

WHAT IS THE REGIONAL RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM (RRTS)?

• The RRTS is a new rail-based, semi-high-speed, high-frequency commuter transit system with a design speed of 180 kmph.
• It is a "transformational" regional development initiative that is designed to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, which can go up to a frequency of every five minutes according to requirements.
• RRTS will be a game changer for India's urban mobility.

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE RRTS?

• One of the most significant aims of the project is to nudge commuters towards public transportation and have a positive impact on relieving congestion both on its roads and highways as well as on existing metro and railway networks.
• In terms of the economy, the project aims to give a push to employment generation and the opening up of newer commercial hubs along the current contours of the NCR.
• Shorter travel times are expected to increase the overall economic productivity of the region and allow more economic activity to spring up in and around suburban locations spread across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana.

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY INDIA'S URBAN MOBILITY:

• Unprecedented transport growth and inadequate public transport:
  • According to Niti Aayog, the number of registered motor vehicles has increased from 5.4 million in 1981 to 295 million in 2019.
  • This rapid growth in demand in the absence of a widespread public transport system has caused a rapid increase in private vehicle ownership in India, especially in urban areas.
  • For instance, China has about six buses per 1,000 people, while India has only four buses per 10,000 people.
• Air Pollution: 
  • Vehicular emissions are a major cause of air pollution in urban areas.
  • For instance, the Indian transport sector is responsible for 13.5 percent of India’s energy-related emissions, with road transport accounting for 90 percent of the sector’s energy consumption.
• Urban Congestion: 
  • Major Indian metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru are ranked among the world’s most congested cities.
  • For example, the average speed for vehicles in Bengaluru is reported as 17 km/h.
• Land Acquisition as a Barrier:
  • The high cost of land acquisition and time-consuming processes have been major barriers to the development of proper urban transport infrastructure.
  • For instance, land acquisition issues have delayed the East-West Metro Corridor Project in Kolkata over the years.
• Multiple departments and lack  of coordination:
  • The development of the urban transport system involves multiple agencies under the central, state, and city governments, which lack coordination and make accountability difficult. To address this need, the government has launched the PM Gati-Shakti.
• Road accidents and fatalities: 
  • India is one of the countries with an alarmingly high number of road accidents.
  • For instance, with only 1 percent of the world’s vehicles, India accounts for almost 10 percent of all crash-related deaths.
• Slow pace of infrastructure creation in India:
  • For instance, only 30-35 km of roads are constructed in India per day as compared to 45km in China.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES:

• Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission JNNURM, 2005:
  • JNNURM was launched in 2005 and closed in 2014 (now succeeded by Atal AMRUT Mission).
• PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity in the country.
• National Urban Transport Policy, 2006:
  • The vision of this policy is to move people rather than vehicles. NUTP aims to provide safe, affordable, quick, comfortable and sustainable access to all the facilities.
• Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP):
  • The project in partnership with Ministry of Urban Development and UNDP aims to promote environmentally sustainable urban transport in India.
• Green Urban Transport Scheme, 2016:
  • The scheme aims to improve non-motorised transport infrastructure such as dedicated lanes for cycling, pedestrians, increasing access to public transport, use of clean technologies and adoption of intelligent transport systems (ITS).
• National Public Bicycle Scheme (NPBS):
  • In 2011, NPBS was launched to build capacity for the implementation and operation of cycle sharing systems across the country.
• Steps to promote use of electric vehicles:
  • Following are some steps that have been taken by the Government to promote the use of electric vehicles in India:
    •  The Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme.
    • Electric Vehicles are covered under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Automobile and Auto Components.
    • GST on electric vehicles has been reduced from 12% to 5%; GST on chargers/ charging stations for electric vehicles has been reduced from 18% to 5%. Etc.

WAYFORWARD:

• Multimodal integration:
  • Urban transportation that integrates mass transit with reliable and convenient first- and last-mile connectivity can reshape the urban commute.
  • For instance, as India plans on building 5,000 km of urban metro rail infrastructure in the next 25 years, metro agencies also need to plan on adding services that enable access to public transport, which includes connectivity through buses and other feeder networks, walking, and cycling around the station area.
• Streets for All:
  • Streets in urban areas need to prioritize the movement of both vehicles and people. While several Indian cities have initiated such pilot transformations, scaling these solutions is the need of the hour.
  • For instance, city master plans integrate walking and cycling paths.
• Adopting green technologies:
  • There should be a clear push toward clean technologies, including the rapid adoption of electric vehicles and non-motorized transport (NMT).
  •  To improve the adoption of non-motorized transport, the routes and paths should be planned so that they integrate seamlessly with public transport.
  • Adoption of electric vehicles has to be enabled through ecosystem development, which includes domestic manufacturing, the deployment of charging infrastructure, etc.
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Bus Transport:
  • Buses are the most popular and convenient mode of transportation in urban cities. Almost 13 crore people in the country take the bus every day. While the current outlay of buses across cities is only 60,000, there is a requirement for at least 132,000 public buses to meet the rising demand.
  • The Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) model can be adopted by cities that lack technical and financial resources for operating buses by enabling them to leverage private resources and expertise.

CONCLUSION:

• For transforming urban mobility in India, the 3C Framework (Clean, Convenient, and Congestion-Free) by NITI Aayg for Mobility should be properly implemented.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Discuss the complex challenges faced by India's urban mobility. Suggest solutions with reference to the 3C Framework for Transforming Mobility by NITI Aayg.