Climate Change • Energy Efficiency • EVs • Renewable Energy • Well Being

Urban mobility: Issues of Concern and Possible Solutions

January 12, 2022
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Author : Vaibhav Sadhamta 

Vehicular emissions are a leading cause of carbon emissions in India. Every year more than one lakh people die in road accidents in the country, by 2050 they are expected to be the fifth-largest cause of lives lost globally.

The world’s cities occupy just 3 per cent of earth’s land but account for 75 per cent of global carbon emissions and about 60-80 per cent of energy consumption. Globally, transport is solely responsible for 24 per cent of global carbon emissions from fuel combustion. Thus it becomes imperatives to focus on how to maximise vehicle and fuel efficiency and minimise emissions and consumption of energy in the urban setting.

In India, The transport sector alone is responsible for 13.5 per cent of energy-related CO2 emissions. SHAKTI 2019 report states that the transport sector is India’s fastest-growing source of carbon emissions. Still, there is no sector-specific target in Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for it. We lack a long term strategy to map out how we plan to decarbonise the transport sector in line with the Paris Agreement to hold global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees celsius and reach net-zero by 2050.

Effect on Health

WHO says that air pollution kills around seven million people worldwide every year due to exposure to air containing high levels of pollutants. In the urban setting, vehicles are a major source of pollutants in the air. Hydrocarbons, particulate matter, carbon monoxides and carbon dioxide are some of the pollutants associated with vehicular emissions.

The International Council on Clean Transportation, 2019 highlighted that In 2015 New Delhi alone saw approximately 1,800 premature deaths attributed to noxious gases originating from the transport sector. While the premature deaths registered across the whole country stood at 74,000. 

India sees a prediction in further growth in the transport sector due to its small vehicle fleet in comparison to its large population. Decarbonising both transportation and electricity generation thus becomes imperative.

Hurdles in clean energy innovation

In 2020 about 7 per cent of global transport emissions was due to buses. India has the second-largest bus market in the world with annual sales of approximately 1,00,000 units. But 95 per cent of these vehicles still run on diesel. Currently, India has a fleet of 5,000 electric buses running in various parts of the country and most of them are operated by private entities.

The adoption of e-buses is not accelerating fast enough due to certain barriers that pose threat to clean energy innovation. These barratries can be divided into three categories — technological, financial and institutional. 

Technological barriers arise due to a lack of relevant information for decision making. The operational limitations of e-buses and charging infrastructure add to the problem.

Financial barriers appear in the form of the dearth of long-term sustainable financing options and the inability of agencies to make necessary changes due to a rigid procurement structure.

Lack of funding and institutional authority along with the absence of political leadership and pragmatic public policy poses institutional barriers.

Action towards Climate-friendly Transport (ACT) and Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) are initiatives on sustainable mobility working to dismantle these barriers systematically. 

Cities never stop as they keep on moving. It’s high time that the movement is clean and green.

The sustainable development goal (SDG) 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable — has 10 targets, the second target is affordable and sustainable transport systems. Which aims to provide access to public transport that is safe, affordable and sustainable especially to those in vulnerable conditions.

A sustainable urban mobility system must include an integrated public transport system with the likes of bus rapid transit (BRT) system, urban buses, auto-rickshaws, bicycling and walking along with clean fuels and electric vehicles with renewable sources of energy. It must also be equitable to all.

E-mobility has been adopted by governments around the world to reduce carbon emissions and make public transport environmentally sustainable. E-mobility projects must encompass access to electric vehicles and charging stations along with the integration of renewable energy generation and storage systems.

There is a need for an extensive public charging network for better connectivity especially in the case of intercity travel. Retrofitting already present infrastructure like street lights and utility poles with charging points can prove to be a low-cost and equitable option.

Electrification of transport systems must be followed by the integration of renewable sources of energy into the grid system for a sustainable mobility system in urban areas. Mass adoption of electric vehicles will lead to rising in power demand and it becomes necessary to meet that demand with clean sources of energy to maintain the decarbonisation goals. 

Fleet electrification of public transport through government intervention can be very beneficial as it will not only help to decrease carbon emissions but also provide economic support to people in the form of employment generation.

Public spaces that can accommodate active mobility options like bicycling and walking are a must. We must focus on urban planning with separate lanes for cyclists and their proper maintenance. 

Integration of public transport and the inclusion of active mobility options can aid the cause of a sustainable urban mobility system. The following example highlights that.

Model for urban mobility

Malmo, Sweden which used to be a typical industrial city is a great example of taking the sustainable route. The city that was developed keeping in mind the traditional car-oriented infrastructure is now Sweden’s top bicycle city. It even won the award on Sustainable Urban Mobility at the European Mobility Week in 2016. The city has a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) which addresses all modes of transportation and focus on social, environmental and economic sustainability. 

The city has a cycle path network of 500 km used by 30 per cent of its population to commute to work or education. The bike and ride parking station at Malmo’s central station provides amenities like restrooms, lockers, waiting for lounge and screens showing train timings. It is operational 24×7 and can accommodate 1500 bikes.

The city was one of the first to adopt the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system which is more time-efficient and reliable than the traditional system. It provides capacity and speeds compared with the urban rail system and uses biogas-electric hybrid buses which run on separate lanes and enjoy traffic signal priority. This has led to increased passenger capacity resulting in fewer emissions and the added benefit of improvement in user experience.

An efficient and sustainable mobility system in the urban area can help to prevent deaths due to accidents on road, encourage an active and healthy lifestyle, and reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. It can also provide better socioeconomic opportunities for businesses to grow. Thus there is an immediate need to address the urban mobility issues and make mobility more sustainable.

Sources – WRI, WHO, NITI Aayog, Climate Action Tracker report (CAT), SDG tracker, MDPI report, TUMI

Image Source – PxHere

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