Wheels of Change: How Tamil Nadu’s free bicycle scheme is empowering students
Bicycles for a Greater Good
Divya Arvind, Researcher
India’s neglected roads: A compounding crisis
Introduction
From road crash to emergency medical care
In 2022, India recorded 461,312 road accidents, resulting in 168,491 fatalities and leaving 443,366 people injured, marking notable increases of 11.9%, 9.4%, and 15.3% respectively compared to the previous year.
Caught in transit: The struggle with un-fair fares and ride-hailing
Chennai has a complex transportation system with a mix of buses, rail, metro, autos, taxis, and all the other private transport means. The public network systems, while vast, are not always tied in efficiently, meaning that commuters are often left with lags in their journeys as they switch modes (for example from a Metro train to a bus). To make these crossovers easy and painless, Chennai’s fleet of autorickshaws and taxis should be able to step in the gap, at least in part, operating as first and last mile connectivity agents.
Enhancing urban mobility
The emergence of smartphones has transformed public transportation in cities such as Chennai. Commuters now have access to various digital tools, such as the MTC’s Chennai Bus Application, to enhance their daily commutes. This report seeks to evaluate how effectively the MTC’s Chennai Bus Application supports its users in their everyday lives and to identify potential improvements for the future.
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World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2024- All districts
Road accident deaths in India continue to rise, leading to significant loss of lives and considerable impact on the economy. In 2023 alone, 18,347 road deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu. Beyond loss of life, road accidents impose significant economic burdens on victims and their families, including medical costs and lost productivity. These challenges are particularly acute for low- and middle-income families.
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Chennai World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, 2024
The United Nations established the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR) in 2005, designating the third Sunday of November each year as a day to honour those killed or injured on the roads, along with their families, friends, and communities. Given the alarming rate of road crashes in India, this observance is particularly significant for Indian road users. With the right measures, many of these tragic incidents could have been prevented and this day serves as a reminder for collective responsibility in creating safer roads.
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