The road to better urbanisation

When we hear the word ‘urbanisation’, we almost immediately think of a modern concrete jungle, filled with high-tech vehicles and facilities. In reality, though, urbanisation is a mega-trend that lies between steady planned development and ad hoc disorganised urbanisation.

Of course, every city strives hard for the former category that is characterised by traits such as efficient travel and commute, reduced costs of living, and most of all, environmental sustainability.

The above traits especially hold good for the growing megacities of India, which aspire for organised urbanisation, especially when it comes to mobility.

Look at any major Indian city, and you will find the construction of metros or elaborate plans for other forms of public transportation under way. Transporting millions of people in and between cities makes the case for reliable, resource sparing, low-emission mobility stronger than ever.

Mass rapid transit

Thanks to the expanding economy and middle-income demographics, India needs transit routes, roads and public transportation, as well as more energy, to maintain this momentum of growth.

Just a decade back, our city roads, highways and tracks were filled with gas-guzzlers and obsolete machinery. Comparatively, today, there are conscious attempts to upgrade various modes of transportation.

When it comes to connectivity through metros, among our cities, Delhi and Kolkata already have a fully developed, modernised system in place. Mumbai is in the process of building a monorail system, where the plan is to reach any city destination within an hour. When completed, this monorail system will transport over 2.2 million people every day.

Our metropolises and many other smaller cities have followed suit. Not only do these aspiring megacities want to model themselves after existing metros, they also want to innovate to increase competence. The upcoming Jaipur metro will go beyond just serving citizens — the project will be advantageous to the booming tourism industry in and around the area. While metros assure intra-city connectivity, public road transportation takes it a step further in working towards both intra and inter-city mobility.

Buses and trucks are the two main vehicles in question. Buses have gotten bigger and better to accommodate larger numbers.

Where a public city bus previously carried 40 people, it now has the capacity to transport 60 people. The higher the number of people per vehicle, the higher the cost efficiency and lower the overall emission levels.

In addition, it is only a matter of time before Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRT) enter Indian roads. It is a system that is present across the UK, Europe, South America and China, where high-performance buses drive on separate lanes that are regulated by their own traffic lighting systems.

This results in higher average speeds that help passengers reach their destinations quickly.

It is not just about moving people, but it is also about facilitating the movement of products and goods necessary for various economic activities. Again, even here, the factors of fuel economy, safety and reducing the carbon footprint of road transport come into the picture.

Hybrid drives are particularly key technologies when it comes to reducing fuel consumption and the levels of CO2 emissions. Smoother automatic transmission also helps increase fuel savings and passenger comfort in buses while upgraded retarders increase the safety of commercial vehicles (buses and trucks).

Indigenous innovation

The ever-growing challenges of near-and long-distance travel need to be met with innovative solutions.

The smallest of components used in public and private transportation become crucial in achieving long-term cost and ecological sustainability.

The components could be anything from final drives, couplers and cooling systems to front covers for high-speed trains or automatic transmissions for buses.

Low wear and tear of wheels and rails saves money and nerves; hence, the quality of every component that goes into building the transport system is critical.

In order to bolster the overall economic progress of the nation, it is not only important to pay attention to the products and components but also to the actual production process that goes into making them.

Several of these products, for example couplers, are indigenously produced and continuously innovated.

This not only reduces unnecessary logistical overheads but also helps local communities with jobs and bigger disposable incomes.

When it comes to urbanisation, unfortunately, there can at times be more negatives than positives — what with the loss of ecosystems, pollution and class disparity.

However, organised mobility can minimise the cons, by moving towards the pros, through the practice of sustainability.

Building more sustainable connectivity systems helps ease chaotic city traffic, it is a far more eco-friendly option, and bridges class disparity.

As growing mobility and urbanisation come together with an increasing use of renewable energies, the future destinations that people and goods reach may just look a lot brighter and cleaner.

(The author is Managing Director, Voith Turbo India.)

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