REDUCE PRIVATE CARS ON ROADS

Once upon a time, when automobiles were invented, the developed nations had plenty of them in all shapes and sizes and only a few elite in the developing world could afford them. From James Bond to Batman every rich and famous was known by the car he rode. There was public transport of rudimentary nature for those who could only aspire to possess a car then. Today the scales have turned and the developed world is relying more on public transport and the roads in the developing world are choked with cars guzzling gas and polluting the cities with their noxious fumes.

The developing world

Ask anyone in India and they will tell you that a private vehicle – a two wheeler or a car is a necessity and no more a luxury because the public transport system is both tardy and unreliable. The growth of vehicles has been much faster than that of the population. The number of registered vehicles increased from 55 million in 2001 to 142 million by 2011, 195.6 million in 2016 and 253 million in 2017. In the last decade registered vehicles per million population has increased by 219% while urban road infrastructure per million only increased by 124%.

This rapid motorization has led to severe congestion, longer journeys and higher per capita trips. Indian roads are also popular for heterogeneity of vehicles sharing the same road space. There are around 32 different vehicle types in India such as bicycles, cycle-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws (‘tuk-tuk’), motorcycles, cars, buses and trucks. No wonder the average speed of a vehicle on Indian roads is just 17-19km/h between 9:00 and 21:00, with the slowest times witnessed during the evening hours.

As per the 2011 census, 31.2% of India’s population (377 million) is living in urban areas. As the UN estimates, these numbers will grow to 40% (590 million) by 2030 and 58% (875 million) by 2050. While only 30% of the total population live in urban areas, approximately 63% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is contributed by those urban areas.

Even with the current size of the urban population, Indian cities are facing a multitude of issues such as severe congestion; deteriorating air quality; increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector; increasing road accidents; and an exploding growth in the number of private vehicles (largely motorcycles). With the urban population projected to more than double in the next generation, the situation could easily get out of control and thwart India’s economic development efforts unless remedial measures are soon taken.

The federal government of India has launched two flagship programmes – 100 Smart Cities and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation, and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 500 cities that have a population of 100,000 or more. Smart cities cannot be built without smart public transport. Under the smart cities programme, the cities are required to build efficient urban mobility and public transportation by creating walkable localities, as well as promoting a variety of transport options. However, there is no clear guideline for developing a sustainable public transportation system.

The developed world

Luxembourg has become the first country in the world with a free public transport system, with all fares for trams, trains and buses abolished as of February 29 2020. The one exception is first-class train travel, which will cost £2.60 (€3) per journey. This is particularly good news for tourists, transport will be free to all visitors to the country as well as Luxembourg's 614,000 residents – making a holiday in the verdant country a little more cost-effective. 

Around 200,000 people – around half of Luxembourg's workforce – commute into the country each day for work from neighbouring Germany, France and Belgium, usually by car. The country's population growth is also among the highest in Europe at three per cent a year, further adding to concerns about congestion. In addition to waiving fares, it is also hoped that improved bike lanes, overhauled bus routes, and expanded tram lines and railways.

Now why do you think they are doing this and incurring a substantial revenue loss? The sole intention is to help change commuter attitudes to public transport and thereby reduce carbon emissions and prevent global warming.  Luxembourg is not the only place in the world with free public transport. Many countries have tried this in their own selected cities to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emission.

Tallinn, Estonia

In 2013, Tallinn became the first capital in the EU to provide free public transport to its citizens, after a referendum was held and 75 per cent of residents voted in favour. To make use of the system, all people had to do was register as a resident of the city, and pay €2 for a "green card". Alas, tourists are not included in this, neither are residents from wider Estonia. Nevertheless, the scheme has been so successful the Estonian government is planning to roll it out across the rest of the country.

Australia

Adelaide in South Australia runs a number of free bus and tram services within the CBD (Central Business District). Brisbane's free City Loop and Spring Hill Loop bus services run frequently within its CBD, and to nearby Spring Hill. Brisbane's river ferries are also free on a CityHopper scheme.

Melbourne, Australia's trendiest city, is naturally also on board with its Free Tram Zone, taking residents and tourists to the iconic Queen Victoria Market, across to Victoria Harbour in Docklands, up to Spring Street and over to Flinders Street Station and Federation Square completely gratis.

Ghent, Belgium

In 2017, Ghent announced its inner city would become a low emissions zone, with only registered vehicles that met strict conditions allowed in. The city centre is also now car-free. As part of this ambitious move, the 'Walking Bus' was introduced: a free electric bus in the city centre. Visitors can recognise it by its eye-catching blue colour.

Incredibly, Ghent's plan cost just £3.4m to implement – in comparison, it costs an estimated £20m-£30m to build a single mile of motorway. The city also has significantly cleaner air, with nitrogen oxide levels dropping by 20 per cent since 2017.

USA

The United States has a number of free public transport options, but the most notable are in Salt Lake City, Kansas City and Olympia (Washington). In 2019, Salt Lake City declared its public transport free for two days a week – Fare Free Thursdays and Fridays. Meanwhile, Kansas City in Missouri and Olympia in Washington state have both said their buses will become fare-free this year.

England

There is a corner of England that is fare-free: West Yorkshire. The Free Town Bus (or Free City Bus) operates in several cities and towns in the area, namely Wakefield, Huddersfield and Dewsbury. All originally started as trials but proved so popular they're still running. 

A number of other cities have been mulling over making public transport free in an attempt to tackle air pollution. Germany announced it would be doing a trial of free public transport across five cities, with a view to rolling it out across the country if successful, in 2018, while a recent proposal in Washington DC could see residents not have to pay for metro rides. 

These improvements in the quality of life come at a cost, and the cost has to be picked up by the tax payer. Taxes in these nations are high but so are the earnings. So long as developing countries do not become more productive and do not succeed in widening their base of direct taxes these privileges of quality living will remain a distant dream.

Alternative approaches

1. Some countries like Singapore are resorting to a ‘tap on the knuckle’ approach. They charge an exorbitant amount for vehicle registration, road tax, certification of road-worthiness, vehicle insurance and parking within city limits. If one end up spending more on parking than on public transport, one is more liable to patronize the latter.
2. Encourage behavioural change at key life stages such as moving house, having children, moving job, moving to a new city or even a new country. Any of these transitions are likely to lead to changes in travel behaviour, and cities could tap into this opportunity by more actively encouraging the use of sustainable transport modes.
3. Education to enable people to become part of the solution to create cleaner cities and improved transport networks by choosing to travel using active, shared and public transport modes. They have to realize that “this is partly my fault”.
4. Ensuring that the total cost of private vs. public transport is transparent and with good public transport links, car ownership should be seen as a luxury rather than a requirement.
5. Improving digital accessibility to public transport services - With so many different apps allowing people to access all these alternative travel options, there is a huge future business opportunity to bring all available transport services in a city together in one digital location.
6. Adapting to changing lifestyles and technologies – thus car pooling and sharing taxi services are lifestyle changes we need to acquire.
7. Introducing payment based on road usage – road tax can be charged by miles travelled. This could be further altered to change behaviour by either rewarding positive behaviour or increasing charges for negative behaviour, for example road users with single occupancy vehicles could be charged more than multiple-occupancy vehicles, or vehicles that use clean energy could be charged less than petrol and diesel vehicles.

But there is another issue with developing nations where a private car is seen not just as a mode of transportation but as a statement of the privileged class. There is still a tendency to announce one’s arrival in an elite class with an automobile that matches the same distinction. And so long as cars remain a fashion statement of the lucky few we cannot hope that their numbers are going to come down in near future. They will only get bigger and wackier but hopefully safer and more fuel efficient.