public transport

In the ever-expanding urban landscapes of today's world, the pressing issues of congestion, pollution, and accessibility continue to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable segments of society—the poor. As cities grow and sprawl, traditional approaches to transportation planning have often favoured motorised vehicles, exacerbating inequalities and hindering mobility for those with limited resources. However, amidst these challenges lies a beacon of hope: sustainable modes of transport.

An analysis of the free bus travel scheme for women in Chennai by CAG revealed that it not only saved them money but also allowed them to invest in their family's health and education.

Let’s take a moment to revisit our past, understand our present and look into our future. During my school days, until about 5th standard, my parents used to walk me to school. Gradually, my parents gained confidence in my traffic navigation abilities and let me cycle to school with a few friends from my neighbourhood. My normal routine after school involved playing in the local streets with my friends till dusk and getting back home when the street lights went on. After a certain age, I was independently mobile with the help of my cycle.

On Twitter I came across someone lamenting a recently announced plan to build more flyovers in some Indian city (it matters not which city as this is a common phenomenon across the country). The tweet pointed out that increasing road infrastructure for private vehicles only encourages more private vehicles and it's a zero sum game. Of course, Twitter being what it is, someone immediately took umbrage, accusing the person of wanting to deny economically/socially disadvantaged people from climbing up the ladder and having access to their own personal vehicle.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that public transit in Chennai is fragmented, poor in service quality, and dying a slow death in the last two decades. Certainly the patronage numbers would support this with modal share dropping over the last few decades, concomitant with an increase in the modal share of private vehicles.