Car pooling or sharing, congestion charges, dedicated lanes for human-powered traffic, separate bus-only lanes, stiff parking fees, a network of crisscrossing bike paths throughout the city intermingling with green zones, are some of the measures available. Why should Indian cities be left behind in this new model of urban development? Our metros are bursting at the seams. Poor infrastructure alone is not the problem. Increasing the width, quality and number of roads is not the permanent answer. Space is not unlimited and at some frightening tipping point, that is not too far away, people will be forced to re-imagine our cities. But why take such a circuitous route to sound development?

The growing demand for mobility within cities has been met in India through ad hoc approaches which emphasise increasing private access to mobility at the cost of mass transport. Public transport in virtually every Indian city is overcrowded, poorly maintained, unsafe and slow. State and municipal governments have promoted motorisation, often through hidden subsidies on roads, vehicles and parking, even though this has led to greater congestion, numerous environmental problems and mobility constraints for the poor. The most environmentally friendly modes, namely walking and bicycling, have been given a short shrift and are today challenged by faster and heavier vehicles.

What we need are measures which, when taken together, would essentially incentivise bicycles, buses and walking, while actively discouraging driving. This need not be a pipe dream. Even though an emphasis on bicycling and buses may appear, at first glance, impractical, it is in fact a practical solution to the innumerable problems of the urbanisation we now face. In fact most of the people in Curitiba who ride buses own cars. We have to find a solution for our cities that will accommodate more people, keep the economy booming, improve transportation for all, clean up the air, consume less gasoline and not damage our health.

... contd.