NEW DELHI: Flanked by one of the most densely populated parts of the city, a stretch of Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) — between Shahdara flyover and Shastri Park — is probably the most congested roads in northeast Delhi.

With bicycles, cars, trucks, horse carts, rickshaws and pedestrians all jostling for space, the road is a nightmare for motorists and pedestrians alike. The stretch also shows how flyovers and elevated roads alone cannot ensure the smooth movement of traffic.

The stretch serves as a gateway to one of the most congested residential areas in the Capital and is one of the most vital links between northeast Delhi and central and north Delhi.

The public works department had built a new bridge on the Yamuna, just ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010, connecting colonies south of GT Road with central Delhi. It took a lot of traffic away from the stretch yet the traffic volume on GT Road does not seem to have diminished. Apart from the local commuters, the road caters to a huge volume of inter-state traffic between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, especially commercial vehicles than run almost round-the-clock. A two-kilometre long flyover over Shahdara, a grade separator at Welcome and single carriageway flyover at Seelampur have collectively failed to solve the traffic mess on this road. Adding to the chaos is the construction of the elevated section of Delhi Metro’s longest line between Majlis Park and Shiv Vihar.

The traffic mess begins at Jhilmil but it compounds manifold as soon as one crosses Shahdara flyover. The grade separator, opposite Welcome Metro station, remains choc-a-bloc with vehicles during rush hour.

Delhi Metro has taken over a large portion of road and has barricaded it to carry out the construction of piers for its elevated section. The five-lane traffic — three lanes coming from the flyover and two-lane on the slip road — gets squeezed into two here creating a bottleneck.

“This is a major problem point. Buses, tempos, two-wheelers, bicycles and cars all try to get ahead of each other, resulting in jams,” said Gopal Sharma, a resident of Shahdara.

The problem of indiscipline on road is not just confined to this point. Drive another 200 metres and you are welcomed by scores of cars, two-wheelers, cyclists and pedestrians leisurely crossing the road even when the traffic light for straight-moving motorists is green.

“Just before the traffic signal, there is a U-turn under the Seelampur flyover which is used by people going towards Old Seelampur — located on the left of the road. In the absence of any traffic cops, the traffic going towards Old Seelampur moves across the road, causing snarls,” said Anoop Das, a government employee.

Just a 100 metres ahead, there is a traffic light which is actually a free-forall point. Scores of pedestrians, cyclists, and rickshaws coming from Jafrabad continue to cross the road even when the traffic light for straight-moving traffic is green. Though there are traffic policemen deployed at the intersection, they rarely intervene.

“It is simply bad planning. Despite the heavy movement of vehicles and pedestrians here, the government has built a single carriageway flyover that carries Shahdara-bound vehicular traffic coming from Shastri Park side. The traffic going in the other direction is obstructed by pedestrians and rickshaws. The government should have constructed a double lane flyover and should have also built and integrated cycle track and pedestrian facility to ensure seamless movement of traffic,” said Sharma.

A PWD official said plans are afoot to build another flyover that will run parallel to the existing one. “A consultant has been hired to suggest the design and how different types of traffic can be segregated. We are taking up this project on priority,” the official said.

Illegal parked auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws and mini and DTC buses picking and dropping passengers right in the middle of the road opposite Seelampur Mall as well as near Jafrabad on the road going in other direction also causes traffic jam. “We have taken up the issue of buses stopping in middle of the road with DTC officials several times. But nothing has been done,” a traffic police official said.

 

Source-http://paper.hindustantimes.com/

The daily number of vehicles seized went down considerably as drivers are now scared and hesitant to take out their vehicles, traffic officials said.

In the first two days after the high court ban, 302 vehicles were seized. The police said a consolidated figure would be released by the department in a few days.

“Many drivers are refraining from taking their vehicles out, which has made our work easier,” said a senior traffic official.

Though police have successfully implemented the ban, the drivers have been left with no source of income. “If the government does take a decision, lakhs of families will either die of starvation or will be forced to commit suicide,” said Mohammad Sohail, an e-rickshaw driver in Burari.

Thousands of rickshaw drivers had gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday to find a solution to their problem at the Aam Aadmi Party’s rally. “This is the problem of over three lakh drivers and their families and this will definitely be a decisive factor for the Delhi elections,” claimed Divakar Kumar another rickshaw driver.

According to an estimate, more than two lakh e-rickshaws ply in the city. These rickshaws can at best ferry four passengers and an additional weight of 25-50 kg luggage. They were supposed to be re gistered with the municipal corporations, which were scheduled to issue identity cards to the drivers.

In the last week of June, the three municipal corporations took up the task of preparing policies for e-rickshaws after Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced the regularisation of these vehicles.

 

Source-http://paper.hindustantimes.com/

                                        ARUN SHARMA/ HT FILE PHOTO

The HC, on July 31, had ordered a ban on these vehicles, saying they are prima facie a hazard to other traffic as well as citizens.

A bench of Justice BD Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul said it will hear the application filed by the Battery Rickshaw Welfare Association on Tuesday.

“You are very well aware of the traffic regulations. Until and unless it (e-rickshaws) is regulated, how can it be permitted?” the bench asked.

Advocate RK Kapoor, appearing for the association, sought urgent hearing of the case saying an advisory had been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to the chief secretaries of all the state governments and Union territories regarding regulation of electric motor propelled three-wheeled vehicles.

Kapoor contended that this advisory had not been brought to the attention of the court.

The application contended that lakhs of families depend upon e-rickshaws for their livelihood “and in the interest of justice, this court may review/modify the order dated July 31”.

There are around 70,000 battery-operated rickshaws plying on roads in the national capital.

The association pleaded that since the ministry proposes to amend the Motor Vehicles Act for regulating such e-rickshaws, they may be permitted to operate, subject to the compliance of any regulations, which may be issued by the Delhi traf fic police or the local administration.

It also sought directions to the authorities to act upon the ministry’s advisory which “specifically provides that to provide last-mile connectivity to the commuters and livelihood to manually operated three-wheeled rickshaws and carts, it was decided to facilitate their replacement with electric motor powered three-wheeled rickshaws and carts”.

On July 31, the HC had ordered a ban on these vehicles saying they were illegally running and “prima facie a hazard to other traffic as well as citizens”.

 

Source- http://paper.hindustantimes.com/

India will need some 500 new cities in the next two decades.

Do you know that every minute during the next 20 years, 30 Indians will leave rural India for urban areas? And that by 2050, 70% of people will be living in cities? At this rate, India will need some 500 new cities in the next two decades, says the American technology behemoth, IBM. The moot point is this: as population centres grow, they are placing greater demands on the city infrastructures that deliver vital services such as transportation, healthcare, education and public safety. Adding to the strain are ever-changing public demands for better education, greener programmes, accessible government, affordable housing and more options for senior citizens. If there were ever a time to focus on developing solutions for sustainable cities, that time is now.With India looking forward to upgrading its urban areas and creating new world class cities, the ambitious plan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build 100 smart cities across the country is a major step towards a Digital India. The 100 smart cities announcement by the government in the Union Budget 2014-15, with an allocation of Rs 7,060 crore in the current fiscal, clearly signal the recognition given to technology in realising the Prime Minister’s digital dreams.

Navin M Raheja, chairman, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) says, “Smart city especially in Indian context is a city that has well placed smart looking planned buildings which are Wi-Fi enabled in order to provide communication connectivity through free models. Also, its various public services and management facilities including traffic management, urban lighting, waste management, technology management and its maintenance is inplace.”

Some of the smart cities to be developed in India are Dholera in Gujarat, Shendra in Maharashtra, Manesar in Haryana, Khushkera in Rajasthan, Ponneri in Tamil Nadu, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Tumkur in Karnataka. Pradeep Jain, chairman, Parsvnath Developers, says, “Such cities are need of the hour given the kind of load our metros are facing in terms of migration of people from tier-2, 3 cities.”

Any city is said to be smart when it is equipped with smart grids and energy efficiency, intelligent transportation, connected healthcare, public safety and security along with wireless communications and hotspots. It has ready access to government and land records, central control with regard to traffic and sustainable infrastructure for electricity and fibre lines. Anand Navani, country manager, Verint Video Systems, India, says, “The successful implementation of smart cities depends primarily on information and communication technology (ICT) and security solutions as the key enabler.”

According to a McKinsey study, India’s urban population is projected to grow from 340 million in 2008 to 590 million in 2030. The country will have to build the equivalent of one Mumbai of commercial and residential space every year to keep up. Anuj Puri, chairman & country head, Jones Lang LaSalle India feels that by expediting the process of smart cities the government can offer a superior way or life to its residents, and one wherein economic development and activity is sustainable and logically incremental by virtue of being based on success-oriented market drivers such as supply and demand. “In a country like India, IT creates a very high number of high-paying jobs, which means that IT/ITeS employees also tend to enjoy a better lifestyle. In other words, a smart city in the Indian context generates a massive number of jobs within a sector where the services provided by it are in great demand both within and outside the city,” he says.

Building new cities, according to experts in India, is one of the best ways possible to deal with the increasing urban population. Rahul Gaur, CMD, Brys Group, says, “When half an hour of rain makes the entire traffic of the city go haywire, it demands a technology integrated urban management which can ensure smooth functioning of the city through technology enabled services. With increasing urbanisation and the load on the land in rural areas, the government seems to have realised the need of a smart city that could cope up with the urban challenges and also be a magnet of investment to catalyse the economy of the city.”

But before that, what exactly is a smart city is something which people still do not know. While there’s no single definition of a smart city, the term generally refers to cities using IT to solve urban problems. “For a common man, the facilities in the smart cities means internet connectivity through Wi-Fi around the city, security camera all over the city for better control of law and order and the security of general public, to some extent use of solar energy devices to generate the power on the streets, hospitals, schools, parks and other important public places of the city. But the concept of a smart city is definitely more than all this,” says

Rajesh Goyal, MD, RG Group.

Globally, says Sachin Sandhir, MD, RICS South Asia, the development of smart cities takes place in two phases: first is the new town planning strategies being generated to attain a higher level of well-being and the increased environmental integration of urban spaces. And secondly, by connecting different elements of a city by specific measures integrating town planning and ICT network for various services. For example, European policies on smart cities are expressed through the search for environmentally sustainable surroundings, in an attempt to improve quality of life in view of the quest for energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions, Sandhir explains.

In Indian context, urban planning has often missed the core elements of urban design such as public services, transport and affordable housing. Thankfully, the new smart cities as planned by the government will not have all these complexities and management issues. Several several smart city projects are already in the works, including in the state of Gujarat, where Modi’s record as chief minister suggests a focus on the country’s urban middle class.

Typically, think of sensors monitoring water levels, energy usage, traffic flows, and security cameras, and sending that data directly to city administrators. Or apps that help residents navigate traffic, report potholes and vote. Or trash collection that’s totally automated. The city will have solar panels, automated garbage collection, and water treatment and recycling plants. Commuters will receive text messages alerting them of traffic and guiding them through the city’s streets.

Installing such activities in old cities is one thing, but building new cities from scratch is what India is aiming at. Because new cities have every detail planned from the outset, they allow urban officials to address problems like overcrowding or pollution before the first residents move in.

With all this said and done, is it that only India has woken up to the reality of smart cities? The answer is no; other countries are also realising the future prospects including South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and China, which announced an $8 billion investment fund in smart city technology this year.

Brotin Banerjee, MD & CEO, Tata Housing Development Company says, “Among the global smart cities, Amsterdam is one of the most upcoming cities to implement the smart and intelligent parameters. The city follows a 50:50 public-private model jointly with EU, city government and private companies.” In the Indian context, he says that the government is yet to accept the PPP model in developing smart cities. “We are looking forward to the PPP model to replicate our theme to not only provide an

environment but also a lifestyle to the people of India,” he adds.

A closer look at the real estate scenario reveals that a number of new cities are already in the works, especially in the corridor between Delhi and Mumbai. Planners envision a high-tech industrial zone anchored by a major freight line and spanning six states.

Some also feel that globally the smart cities are nothing but existing cities being transformed to more intelligent and better managed cities, examples being Amsterdam and Singapore. “Although the central idea in all the cases, be it global or Indian smart cites, revolves around creating better infrastructure and providing improved services through integration of various means and channels, minimising costs, reducing the impact on the climate and making the cities more sustainable in the future,” says Sanjay Dutt, executive managing director, South Asia, Cushman & Wakefield.

Various studies have identified some eight key aspects that are essential for a smart city: smart governance, smart energy, smart building, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, smart healthcare and smart citizen. “Of these smart governance is core to smart city. Using technology, the possibilities of delivering urban services is unlimited. Every little device used for shared resources such as electricity, water can be metered remotely and billed, just like we get our telephone bills,” says Shyam Sunder S Pani, president, Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management.

In short, safe neighbourhoods, quality housing and traffic that flows—it’s all possible, thanks to smart cities. The journey has begun and the first decisive step to get rid of the urban chaos has been taken!

What is a smart city?

A city can be defined as ‘smart’ when investments in human and social capital and traditional and modern communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic development and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory action and engagement.

A smart city unifies traditionally separate facilities, departments and processes to achieve better operational efficiency and increased effectiveness while maximising resources. A smart city in action might integrate police response and reporting with transportation, energy and urban planning, public safety and more. Using a targeted and unified approach, city officials, first responders and residents benefit from proactive situation awareness and heightened information sharing.

According to Anand Navani, country manager, Verint Video Systems, India, on basic parameters a smart city’s essential infrastructure works on sophisticated information technology which are centrally integrated giving ease of access to real time information to concerned departments. This drastically improves response time of authorities to handle operational and emergency situations efficiently. Services from power and water supply to transport and garbage disposal are controlled by a network of sensors, cameras, wireless devices and data centres. It is environmentally clean, fuel-efficient and crime-free. There being no universal standard, smart city definitions soon descend into a heap of fashionable phrases such as “social and human capital”, “e-governance” and “citizens’ participation”.

Thus, some of the key features of a smart city include a dedicated control room to handle all municipal and police operations of the city like infrastructure management, water, power, sewage, traffic, crime, law and order and assist faster resolution of investigations and incidents.

In India, an example of a smart city is the city Surat in Gujarat known as the diamond capital of the world. Verint Systems helped Surat put its smart city plans into action. The objective of the project is to better ensure the safety and security of residents while also protecting the many key industries that call the city home, including diamonds, textiles, engineering, and oil and gas properties and ensuring proper coordination

between different departments such as the municipal corporation, police, traffic and the government.

Surat is equipped with state-of-the-art 24/7 video surveillance and security command centre that centrally monitors, aggregates and analyses multiple surveillance feeds, all to support proactive physical security management of the city.

The surveillance centre includes a city mapping capability that provides reports on physical security, emergency situations and traffic monitoring and tracking, along with facilitating authorities with evacuation and disaster recovery plans using CCTV cameras.

Source-http://www.financialexpress.com/