Paradox of urban growth

CITIES IN CRISES - Can We Survive? Dr. P. S. Pasricha; Nasha Publications, 3-A, 3rd floor, Kakad House, New Marine Line, Mumbai-400020. Rs. 175.

CONCERNED WITH the paradox of urban growth, the author, an IPS officer and authority on traffic and transportation management, has come up with a very readable and at the same time thought- provoking book on the crises facing the cities. He has tried to view the problems in India in the global context, suggesting some short and medium term solutions based on the experiments and experiences of other countries.

In his own words, ``I have tried to examine the global problem of urban transportation and the resultant consequences, to see how we, as a developing nation, can discover our own ways and means to cope with its compulsions''. The best way forward was to persuade Government agencies and common citizens to own up their responsibilities and work for a better tomorrow.

A special feature of this book is its presentation and get-up. The well-illustrated publication sparkles with eye-catching photographs, quotable quotes and prized information, which are boldly displayed almost on every page.

After the evolution of mega cities the world over, the author traces urban growth with all its problems, focussing particularly on urban transport. He begins with the birth of transport - from the horse drawn coach or carriage till the arrival of the sophisticated smart car or the mass transit systems. This history is full of interesting anecdotes and significant discoveries.

Dealing with the woes of the city, he says ``Inability to overcome congestion and remove obstacles to mobility threaten to make big cities an economic liability rather than an asset''. He details the various obstacles such as fast growing vehicle population, scarcity of space, deteriorating environment and the problem of encroachments.

The author advocates the five Es - economy, energy, equity, environment and efficiency - with an emphasis on a systems approach to traffic planning and management. While developing a traffic system management, the key should be the identification of problem areas and focus on sub-area activities in tune with the nature and composition of the area. Depending on the type of traffic - pedestrian, MRTS, taxi, autorickshaws, cars, buses or bicycles, the system should be designed.

He would like to see greater emphasis and development in the regulatory techniques and traffic control devices so that the ``managers'' can work out a suitable system for managing the traffic. Since hawkers on pavement cannot be wished away, one suggestion is to widen the pavements and mark a sheltered portion for them, leaving adequate space for the pedestrians, who would otherwise spill over to the road. Even at the cost of reducing the carriageway of the road, increasing the size of pavements may be useful.

Naturally, he suggests a priority for public transport and an incentives-disincentives system for car pools, to reduce the load on the roads. Equally important will be the sophistication of road signals, early warning system to avoid congested roads and ultimately the ``smart car'', which is directly hooked on to the traffic control watch/information system.

One solution which may be worth trying in any system is the lane reversal and flexibility mechanism, linked to the flow of traffic. For instance, when the peak hour flow is into the city or the business district, the median could be adjusted to open three lanes towards that direction, leaving just one for the opposite direction. In the evening, this can be reversed to let three lanes take the traffic away from the core area.

Of course, most of his illustrations are drawn from developed systems like Singapore. Unfortunately, that kind of discipline or enforcement does not exist here. But the Government agencies, the public and private sectors must at least go in for a modern MRTS, inter-modal transport and a unified Urban Transport Authority for easy interchange from trains to buses. Basically, it will boil down to discipline.

V. JAYANTH

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