Communicating for multiplying ecologicl audit of consumption, production,transport ,habitats and leisure for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change, ensuring equity and ecological safety ,Centre for Ecological Audit,Social Inclusion and Governance, Delhi http://centre4ecologicalaudit.blogpost.com has been involved in generating advisory and analytic outputs for transforming ecologically hostile leisure http://ecostrategiccommunicators.ning.com , ecologically hostile usurious and speculative finance system http://globaljusticemovent.net and governance for meeting the new realities emanating from the findings on climate change ,functioning of the finance institutions and the adoption of development policy that is responsible for accelerating the ecological and nuclear threats for nations and humanity . It is wonderful to learn that The Climate Resilience Centre at Community Enterprise Forum International (CEFI) is planning a stakeholders’ discussion with local governments across the country regarding the urgent need for an effective and efficient urban transport system which utilizes about 10 per cent of the total energy used in the country and also contributes to global warming.
While noting the projection of the World Bank report that 60 percent of humanity may live in cities across the World, in just 12 years due to increasing ecologically hostile Urbanization and infrastructure development that increases demand for transport, it is important to factor the decisions that people might as well take for safeguarding the ecologically sustainable habitats and move out of the cities .Therefore, this demand projected may not be real and a ruse for generating more ecologically hostile usurious money from thin year. Indeed the public transport system will fall short of the demand if strict adherence to the principles of equity and ecological safety in not brought in the urban and rural areas for mitigating climate change and realising social and ecological justice. It is not only that public transport need has fallen short of meeting the increasing demand and people are forced to rely on private vehicles, but also the fact that those with additional money are buying cars to show off and policies has been designed to let people buy as many cars as they please with easy loans despite knowing that neither they have place to keep them not there are free roads to ply them. Sidewalks in residential localities like Ashok Vihar where I live, are captured by cars and people have more than one car, buses are good enough though there could be some more. I have been living in this area for the last 14 years and decided not to buy a personal vehicle .My senior friend Dr.Ashok Jain teaching in the Department of Buddhist studies,University of Delhi also is using bus for reaching the university . Discussing the reasons that are responsible for increase in the number of personal vehicles, he said the people in Delhi were earlier more rooted and did not want to show off the wealth. Now, after getting money, they want to show off and one of the interesting reason for them to buy cars, according to Dr.Ashok Jain it is the expectation that in the marriage , they will get better cars as dowry for their sons.
Thus, We need to note that the increase in the number of cars is more a demonstration of wealth and if this is pace of the increase in the number of cars on the roads, then never ever would any expansion of the public transport system would help in reducing the number of cars and reducing the emission of green house gases, if the factors for the purchase decisions were not addressed and rule for protecting the roads and sidewalks were not brought in for safeguarding the space for people in the areas specially the sidewalks and footpaths whose encroachments has been ignored across the city. Not to speak of the temples, cars, home owners in the residential arears who have encroached upon the sidewalks and footpaths, even the government in places such as Connaght Place has encroached on the footpath for creating parking space of the cars. The projection of the World Bank if it gets true would be quite ecologically hazardous and ,I am sure we need to beat these projections through collective efforts for ensuring that habitats are managed for surviving the end of fossil fuel services and utilities and ,what I call end of petro-modern times . A small endeavour in this regard is the creation of a network of organisations and citizens for transforming ecologically hostile habitats http://transitionurbanindia.ning.com for addressing peak oil, building self reliant ecologically safe communities and mitigating climate. This is working in close coordination with the initiation of Tranisition India network http://transitionindia.ning.com created by Les Squires, the cofounder of Transition US Movement http://transitionus.ning.com with more than 1600 members involved in creating city based communities.
As per the findings about 30 percent of India’s population lives in urban areas and the number may cross 50 per cent by 2030, but that increase would not be ecologically safe and sustainable. The traffic indeed has become chaotic and most of us moving across the city of Delhi are witness to the change that has happened after the liberalisation of the policies for entry of the multinational corporations in the various sectors of economy. If we gets concerned about the face of Delhi after 2000 years in 40th century, we can imagine what could be support conditions for the ecologically hostile behmoth that is getting ready for hosting the Commonwealth Games, legacy of the slavery of the subcontinent. With these sharings, I am noting down the answers for the questions that has been presented for discussions:

1. What action is being undertaken by the governments (National and Local) to improve public transport in mega cities across the country? What are your experiences of successful implementation?

I do not wish to answer this as this has been already responded by other members of the community. However, I would like to note even with linking all the locations with Metro Rail, now indeed the pride of the national capital, there hardly appears to be decrease in the number of personal vehicles that are moving on the road.

2. What is your experience of mobility in metro cities when compared to medium and smaller cities of the country?

Metro and bus is good for long distances, cycle rickshaws are a boon for the small distances. When I need to move with family with lots of luggage ,I hire a taxi/auto when travelling for Bihar where my parents live at Mathurapur ( near Kahalgaon where NTPC is located in Bhagalpur district) and Patna ( my wife) . Traffic Jams in Kamla Nagar everyday for about 10 minutes near Shaktinagar Chowk is a matter of concern and there I wonder what more can be done for public transport .There are too many buses, but as I said earlier people have bought cars for showing off and not only for lack of public transport. If there is a study, it can be found that purchase of cars is also related to show off. There are people who like to take a car to vegetable shop instead of walking or taking a cycle rickshaw. Walking a bylane designed for walking gets difficult when one faces a car approaching and then there is no option but to wait for the car to move. Some of the photographs can be seen posted at http://transitionurbanindia.ning.com

3. What are the constraints you face while walking, cycling or using public transport?

Walking is indeed a matter of great caution due to total encroachment of footpaths in several areas and use of the portion of road for parking the cars by the homeowners on the both side of the road. One has to be caution and many times I find advising my son not to look back as one needs to see the incoming traffic from the front assuming that those coming from behind would be careful in ensuring that they do not hit pedestrians like me, who for all the purpose walk the roads for buying provisions. Cycling on several roads appears to be easier ,but they have to be cautious as well from the motorists and automobiles. Pedestrians like me and cyclists would be better if all the encroachments with the residential areas were removed or adjusted to ensure fair space for pedestrians.

I hope the above helps in enriching the deliberation with the local governments for an effective public transportation system with ecological limits. I would like to take this opportunity to invite all the members to join the network for the movement for transforming ecologically hostile urban habitats at http://transitionurbanindia.ning.com and make this safe for children of 40th century.