6.5. Transportation and Traffic

Absence of planned and adequate arrangements for traffic and transport is another problem in urban centres in India. Majority of people use buses and tempos, while a few use rail as transit system. The increasing number of two-wheelers and cars make the traffic problem worse. They

cause air pollution as well. Moreover, the number of buses plying the metropolitan cities is not adequate and commuters have to spend long hours to travel.

The design and maintenance of city roads is a major challenge in Indian cities. The roads are notorious for being pedestrian-unfriendly, poorly surfaced, congested, and constantly dug up. An important and urgent transformational reform is to draw up national design standards and contracting standards for city roads to address these challenges.

The flow of traffic also needs special attention in Indian cities. Unlike western cities, motorized vehicles in India change lanes with high frequency and in unpredictable ways. This creates unnecessary traffic jams and delays.

Metro rails can be an efficient source of public transportation in many cities. The success of some initial metro projects has led to demands for the same in other cities.