Foot over-bridges (FOBs) are a poor option to help pedestrians safely cross a road. Women feel unsafe using them; people with disabilities cannot use them at all; and even the average pedestrian finds the extra walk tedious. Sumana, CAG, explains that at-grade pedestrian crossings are needed every 200 metres as per IRC Guidelines, along with a fundamental shift in the attitude of motorists towards vulnerable road users.
Despite noteworthy efforts by the government (such as through the Meendum Manjappai campaign) to reduce the use of single-use plastics, they stubbornly remain in our lives. Sumana, CAG, explains that this is a problem that must be addressed at the source - with the production of plastic and plastic products itself.
This article explores the need for teaching climate change within the educational framework, and how this has progressed in India. Mala Balaji, researcher, talks about why CAG developed a textbook on climate change for 'impressionable middle-grade students' and how this work has been carried forward.
As cyclists are increasingly crowded out of our roads, this article quotes a study by CAG that found that livelihood cyclists (or captive cyclists, as they cannot afford a motorised form of transport) are the ones mostly left on our roads, battling traffic. Sumana, CAG, explains that piecemeal approaches to making cyclists safer, such as isolated cycle tracks on a few roads, are not good enough to solve the problem of the vulnerable cyclist.
Due to their low cost, and convenience, 'bike taxis' are quickly gaining popularity among city residents. However, using private vehicles for commercial purposes is not allowed by law. In light of this, either these services need to be banned; or adequate steps must be taken to legalise these with sufficient safety provisions. This needs to be addressed at the earliest to ensure safety of users, explains Divya, researcher at CAG.
Sumana, CAG talks about the recent efforts of the Chennai police to enforce speed limits within the city. With a CAG audit showing that over 85% of two-wheelers were travelling over permissible speed limits and with Chennai holding the spot for the second highest number of road fatalities, curtailing speed to prioritise the safety of all road users, especially vulnerable road users, should not be a difficult decision to make.
Bids have been invited for the procurement of modern passenger information systems in seven State Transport Undertakings (STU). Sumana, CAG, acknowledges that this is a good move but called for such a system to ensure information is communicated through various modes and not just focussed on the technologically-savvy citizen. In addition, information should be updated in real-time. A CAG study established that passengers generally find public transport information through official mediums difficult to access, and not always reliable.
As the Karnataka government rolls out a free bus scheme for women, Sumana, CAG explains why such a scheme is good for women, their families in particular and the society at large. Typically, when women save money in any manner, they recycle it back into their families, for example, investing it in their children and their education.
To improve Chennai's bus service, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is auditing user experiences about safety, comfort and reliability of Chennai's buses. Sumana, CAG, comments on how MTC can ensure information (on timings, routes, etc) is communicated effectively to passengers.
Riding on the wrong side of the road can be a costly infraction. An article that explains that public behaviour, road design and enforcement changes are needed to fix this problem.