Low-income settlements have limited access to public transport, finds CSE study

Those living in unplanned, low-income settlements in the national capital have “limited access” to affordable public transport, resulting in 1

Those living in unplanned, low-income settlements in the national capital have “limited access” to affordable public transport, resulting in 1.5 times to 3.5 times increase in their monthly cost of transport, according to a report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Tuesday. Residents of unplanned neighbourhoods also had to walk longer to access mass transit systems such as the Metro than those in planned neighbourhoods in the same vicinity, the study found.

New Delhi, India - July 29, 2021: Slow moving traffic at Kashmiri Gate near ISBT while it rains in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, July 29, 2021. (Photo by Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times) (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

However, even planned residential neighbourhoods, including high-income areas, lacked public transport connectivity, though their situation is better than that in unplanned settlements.

The report is based on a ground level assessment of infrastructure for accessibility in 16 residential neighbourhoods of varying economic status such as Tughlaqabad Extension, Govindpuri, Kalkaji, Shahpur Jat, Tughlaqabad village, Greater Kailash, and CR Park, among others.

At a time when the government is investing heavily on developing public transport infrastructure and making efforts to promote its use in a bid to curb air pollution, CSE experts said accessibility and connectivity to and from unplanned and planned neighbourhoods have to be improved for substantial gains.

As per the report, planned settlements are about 1.3 times better connected than low-income unplanned settlements and have 1.5 times better access to boarding points for buses, Metro etc.

As per the Master Plan Delhi 2041 (MPD 2041), the population is estimated to be about 27-30 million by 2041 and it is likely to generate 46.2 million trips daily. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, CSE, said Delhi will “remain locked in the pollution and carb trap” if an 80% share of public transport is not achieved.

“This requires immediate improvement in neighbourhood scale accessibility to bus and Metro services and minimisation of interchanges. The expectation of MPD 2041 is that 50% of Delhi’s population will be within the influence zone of mass transit systems by 2041 and mixed-use development will encourage a shift towards public transport. This can be fulfilled only if design and infrastructure improve at the neighbourhood-level for safe and efficient access,” said Roychowdhury.

The 16 areas were assessed on parameters such as access to public transport, quality of accessible infrastructure, connectivity between the settlement and rest of the city, accessibility within the settlement etc.

And it found that planned settlements are more accessible than unplanned and low-income ones.

The report compared journeys from Garhi (low-income unplanned settlement) and East of Kailash (a planned residential areas, located next to Garhi) to the city’s centre.

It was found that residents have to walk a longer distance from Garhi — a 27-minute walk— to the Metro station than from East of Kailash, which involved only a 13-minute walk, though both localities are in the same vicinity.

The report stated that “on average, walk time of a trip is 1.2–1.8 times in unplanned areas compared to planned areas”. Due to lack of proper connectivity and accessibility to public transport boarding points, those living in unplanned areas end up paying 1.3-3.5 times more on a trip than those from high-income group areas in the same vicinity.

As per the report, all neighbourhoods fell short on one key parameter — accessible infrastructure for safe access and connectivity. But it is 1.8 times better in planned areas with high-income group settlements as compared to unplanned neighbourhoods. The streets are 1.7 times more walkable and penetration of intermediate para transit is 1.9 times higher in planned areas than in unplanned areas.

Even the general sense of safety is 1.7 times higher in planned areas, finds the study.

Roychowdhury said efforts have to be made to improve residential areas’ connectivity and accessibility to public transport services. For that, she said there is a need to frame area-specific and neighbourhood-wise plan for improving accessibility and connectivity.

In the 100-page report, CSE has also recommended measures that should be taken to ensure that buses and metro services are accessible by foot or by bicycles, and also pushed for a better feeder (bus) service system. There is also a need to work towards a “citywide development of integrated and affordable public transport service that deeply penetrate and connect neighbourhoods efficiently”, the report said.