Some good news for all those suffering from pollution related ailments in Delhi – the government is now gearing up to shell out Rs 19,762 crore ($2.95 billion) to bring down traffic congestion in its capital city.
New Delhi which is home to about 16 million people, is currently the world’s11th-most polluted city, is about to change this status. So if you are about to resettle in Delhi, better air may greet you sooner than you think. Relocation to Delhi may seem like a better option now.
A committee, set up by India’s urban development ministry in 2014, has proposed a number of measures to curb traffic congestion in the city. A list of other major proposals made by the committee include:
- Parking on footpaths to be made an offence.
- Footpaths on all roads, with right of first use of street space to pedestrians
- Provision of more crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, at least at every 250 metres
- Access to bus service should be within walking distance from home or office
- Bus fares to be priced less than the per kilometre cost of running a two-wheeler
- 2,000 new buses to be procured immediately and 4,000 in the next phase
- Development of Bus Rapid Transit System corridors on high-density routes
- Market-driven parking fees and congestion tax to discourage use of private vehicles
- Setting up a unified metropolitan transport authority to fast-track decisions
The proposal awaits the central government’s nod.
Additionally, to bring down vehicular pollution, the Delhi government even experimented with car rationing twice this year.