A frequently asked question is whether it is fair to expect people to reduce/stop using their own vehicles before public and non-motorized transport facilities improve. This question is asked by many who sincerely believe that the number of private motor vehicles on the road must be decreased.
Here is Parisar's position on the issue. This position is a little subtle - so read carefully!
As part of the Bicycle Partnership Program funded by I-CE, Parisar carried out a project to spread awareness of bicycling as a mode of urban transport, emphasizing mainly the role of cycling in making a people friendly city, and forwarding the idea of sustainable urban transport as a whole.
The project consisted on awareness campaigns touching various groups of the city, like school children, college students and motorists. For each of these groups a customized 'kit' was prepared revolving around the basic components of a film [Cycling Friendly Cities], a presentation and design material like posters and give aways. Details can be found in the report.
Pune plans to execute a project providing improving bicycle connectivity to the proposed BRT corridors in the city. This project is funded by the UNDP-GEF and World Bank. Parisar reviewed the project report and presented its comments to the PMC authorities. In addition, Parisar also participated in discussions with PMC along with a cycle-inclusive planning expert from I-CE, Mr. Jeroen Buis, about oversight and monitoring of the project. Broadly, while Parisar whole-heartedly supports the idea of improved bicycle connectivity to the BRT corridors, it has some concerns about the project proposal and its monitoring.
Pune proposes to build a metro-rail as a solution to the traffic problems of the city and a detailed project report (DPR) for the same was submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Moreover, the DPR also asked for an increased in Floor Space Index (FSI) along the metro and BRT corridors for "corridor densification" and to raise funds for the metro!
Parisar analyzed the DPR and found that it had many problems across issues such as governance, the justification for the metro and techno-economic details. Key observations made by Parisar have been sent to the concerned authorities and Parisar hopes there would be some feedback and engagement on the issue before the project moves ahead, if it does.
