Delhi’s administrators have conveniently stated that the only solution to the air pollution lies in curtailing stubble burning in the neighboring states.
This narrative has deflected attention from what Delhi can potentially do.
How menacing are private cars?
Our urban planning guidelines have been incentivizing private car ownership at the expense of congestion and deteriorating environmental quality.
Notably, at the present congestion levels, Delhi wastes around $1.6 million worth of fuel every day, while air pollution results in eight deaths per day.
The Capital currently has more than 157 cars per 1,000 residents, and is expected to go up to 380 cars per 1,000 people by 2025.
Since car owners gain from these but the costs are borne by everyone, our urban policies are essentially hurting those who rely on public transport.
As more vehicles would among other issues, add to the pressure on our roads, it is imperative for urban policy in India to dis-incentivize car ownership
What can be done?
Parking Spaces – Low-cost public parking and housing policies that mandate for minimum parking lots in residential buildings need to be done away with.
Even in residencies where people can’t afford their own vehicle, parking spaces are mandated, which drives up housing costs considerably in cities.
Also, access to parking was found to induce residents to drive more in private cars, even for trips to areas which are well served by public transport.
As detrimental effects of treating parking as a public good are being realized, many cities across the world have already recalibrating their policies.
Notably, National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) of 2006, had argued for a fee based parking model for Indian metros, but hasn’t found favour with authorities.
The Future - In order to make owners internalize the costs of driving private vehicles, cities need to charge at least the basic market price for parking spaces.
This requires more effective enforcement of parking rules by cities in addition to more transparent and effective collection mechanisms for parking fees.
For a brighter future, it is time for urban policies to be driven less by the priorities of the influential elite, and more for the welfare of everyone.
