sustainable transport

According to Chennai’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2019, the modal share of private automobiles increased from 2008 to 2018 while that of walk/cycle/public transport decreased.

The role of the media in society is rather broad and all-encompassing. The various forms of media (print, and visual, and now social media) are all primary channels of communication with citizens, helping bridge the gap between people and policy makers. It keeps people informed of current affairs and can significantly shape public opinion. An example of this is how the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in New Delhi never got a fair chance with the media baying for its blood. Around 2007, the Delhi government planned a BRTS system for the city.

How big is your city? Growing up in Chennai, my knowledge and therefore idea of the city extended possibly between school, home, and a few other places I frequented. While this has expanded, I don’t think I realised how big it actually was. In October 2022, the media reported that the Tamil Nadu government had cleared a 5-fold expansion of the city - from 1189 km2 to 5904 km2. I was a bit shocked that my city was already 1189 km2 big and now had gotten even larger. 

What is in a name?

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.