TrafficInfraTech Magazine Linking People Places & Progress
The future transportation is poising towards a big change that would be system level focused, connected, automated, integrated and would influence the different aspects of our lives. The focus stories in this issue of TrafficInfraTech precisely touches upon concepts like connected mobility, electric mobility and the multimodal integration from the perspective of end-users. However, to achieve these goal different agencies and departments need to work together. The Government has a major role to play because the changes affect the business environment, employment opportunities and the regulations currently in place. Advocating the advantages of shared mobility, Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, states that we need to overcome the existing barriers – from having a mindset of private ownership of cars to the government’s taxes which tend to make public transport operations unviable.
The problem that confronts transportation planners everywhere is the move to increase infrastructure capacity to relieve congestion – be it roads or transit and the solution involves very high cost. MaaS could be an alternative way to move people faster and economically.
Closely linked to the above is the integration of public transportation modes and robust mass transit systems. One of the barriers here as well is the lack of institutional integration.
According to Anil Srivastava, Adviser, NITI Aayog, along with shared mobility, we have to consider clean mobility too. Globally, there is a shift happening from ICE vehicles to EVs. By 2025, there would be price parity between the two. Shared services can make more productive use of investments and reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
This edition of the magazine also touches upon more areas with regard to urban mobility like the concept of smart streets and the debate on the efficacy of metro rail to reduce road congestion.
