Urban planning needs radical changes to ensure reliable, efficient and affordable public transport, Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu has said.

“Mobility in urban areas is the key determinant of quality of urban life. For many, life in urban areas is a nightmare. People move out of homes, mostly to make a living and this is turning out to be harrowing experience,” he said at the ‘Urban Mobility India Conference’ here on Tuesday.

“We have to plan ahead keeping in mind the pace of urbanisation. Smart cities and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation aim to achieve this,” he said.

The objective of developing smart cities, the government's flagship mission, is not to encourage use of private cars but to see that even car owners use public transport, the Minister said.

The lack of first and last mile connectivity is affecting use of public transport. For this, the New Delhi Municipal Council has been asked to conduct a study for providing such connectivity to metro services in NDMC area, Naidu said.

Congestion issues To address congestion issues, the Minister suggested policy interventions like imposing deterrent congestion charges, tax measures to restrain owning and using personal vehicles, promoting vertical construction for dense living, effective parking policies etc.

The four-day Urban Mobility India Conference is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Urban Development and United Nations Environment Programme.

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