urban transport - kolkata

Sustainability and urban transport-Kolkata

A presentation by

Surajit Bhattacharya Architect and Urban Planner



Social Dilemmas


Presentation will cover the following Definition of sustainability and sustainable development

Definition of sustainable urban transport

Global warming and climate change

Types of Institution and Formal Institution

Existing Urban Transport in Kolkata

Over view of National Urban Transport Policy

Dilemma of Policy Implementation and Bounded Rationality

Way forward with carrot and stick approach (soft and hard measures)


Sustainability

What is sustainability ?


Definition of Sustainability and Sustainable Development

According to Beatley, 1995 “universally there is no accepted

definition of sustainability, sustainable development or

sustainable transport”

Sustainable development “meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs.” (Brundtland Commission, 1987)


“Sustainable development is the achievement of continued

economic development without detriment to the environmental

and natural resources.” (Themes Sustainable Development,

2004).

Sustainability is “the capacity for continuance into the long

term future”. Anything that can go on being done on an

indefinite basis is sustainable. Anything that cannot go on

being done indefinitely is unsustainable (Centre for

Sustainability, 2004)

1. Definition of Sustainability and Sustainable Development


“The goal of sustainable transportation is to ensure that the environment,

social and economic considerations are factored into decisions affecting

transportation activity.” (MOST, 1999)

Transportation impacts on sustainability- Litman and Burwell, (2006, p.335)

Definition of Sustainable urban transport


What is carbon footprint actually ?

Definition of Carbon foot print


Definition of Carbon foot print CFP is a measure of all

greenhouse gases a

specified entity and is a

measure of how much we

affect the environment,

and particularly climate

change, through our lifestyle.

It consider the effect of using

a car, flying, but also eating

habits and leisure.

You May visit http://www.carbonfootprint.com/ to calculate your CFP Source: http://alternativestandrews.blogspot.in/

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

http://alternativestandrews.blogspot.in/


What are GHGs?

Definition of Greenhouse Effect


Definition of Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse Gases such

as:

Water vapour (H2O)

Carbon dioxide(CO2)

Methane (CH4)

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

are all absorbers of

infrared radiation and

known as GHGs



What are Global warming

and climate change?


Visible light is reflected as infrared radiation and is absorbed

by these gases and then slowly release the heat back into the

atmosphere keeping Earth’s average surface temperature

around 59°F (15°C).

Without this atmospheric greenhouse effect, the average

surface temperature of the planet would be only about 0°F

(-18°C).Many life forms would find it difficult to survive.

Problems happen when the greenhouse effect becomes too great and the temperature continues to rise.



Definition of Sustainable urban transport

What are sustainable and

unsustainable transport?


Sustainable transportation indicators (Economic)



Sustainable transportation indicators (Social)



Sustainable transportation indicators (Environmental)


VOC: Volatile org comp

According to Prof. David Banister (Oxford University), 2003 –

“In an absolute sense all transport is unsustainable as it consumes resources.

Walking and cycling come nearest to being sustainable, as they consume very

little non-renewable energy, but even here other types of resources are used,

principally space”.

“ As we move down the transport hierarchy, more resources are used both in

terms of energy consumption, and in the production of externalities”.

Externalities in the transport context cover the emissions of pollutions, the waste

from the production and disposal of vehicles, the use of public spaces for roads

and parking, the severance effect, destruction of ecosystem and visual

annoyance.

Sustainable urban transport


Sustainable urban transport

Is Private Car unsustainable?


According to Prof. David Banister

(Oxford University), 2003 –

“In terms of sustainable transport,

both walking and cycling come out

top. High occupancy public transport

(including rail, bus, tram and metro)

follows, but in some cases only just

ahead of CLEAN, SMALL, EFFICIENT

car. The third group includes high

speed rail and many other types of

car. Taxis and lorries form a fourth

group with air transport on its own in

a fifth group”.

Sustainable urban transport (In terms of Resources Used)


Sustainable urban transport (In terms of Resources Used) According to Wegener and Fürst, 1999 - The car as a mode of

transport has been mostly accepted as the standard to indicate

unsustainability of urban transport system.


Sustainable urban transport (In terms of energy)

Banister, D2003 (Oxford University)


Definition of Formal Institutions Williamson,O.E,1994 identifies four levels of institutions in the framework of

new institutional economics and they are informal, formal, governance

and resource allocation / employment related.

According to Williamson, 1994 Formal Institutions are normally established

and constituted by binding laws, regulations and legal orders which prescribe

what may or may not be done.

The formal institutions are codified statutes, constitutional provisions, laws,

regulations and high administrative orders.

Sudden and radical institutional change does occur, but generally, formal

institutions change slowly through the politics of modification and reform as

different interests and ideas compete to get the most out of the rules.



Trip distributions (Source: IDFC, 2008)

“Urban transport in Calcutta is in crisis. Because of uncontrolled land use development, associated transport

activity and an unrelenting increase in private motor vehicles, there is severe congestion and deteriorating public

transport.” (Halder, 1997, p. 24)




0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Kolkata Delhi Mumbai

Percentage Modal Share 2002

Walk

Non Motorised Veicle

Private Motorised

Public Transport

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Kolkata Delhi Mumbai

Percentage Modal Share 2008

Walk

Non Motorised Veicle

Private Motorised

Public Transport


Growth in Motorised vehicles, Kolkata (Source: Statistical Handbook, WBG)



Source: Pucher et al, 2005 for 2002 data and Wilbur Smith Report for 2008 data


Existing Urban Transport in Kolkata Tram Services in Kolkata

Statistical hand book, 2002-03, WSG


National Urban Transport Policy 2006

http://urbanindia.nic.in/policies/TransportPolicy.pdf









National Urban Transport Policy 2006 (Main Focus)


NUTP (2006) implementation at state level

http://kolkatatrafficpolice.gov.in/bi_cycle_notice.htm http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/ut/K_1401

1152007_UT.pdf


http://kolkatatrafficpolice.gov.in/bi_cycle_notice.htm

http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/programme/ut/K_14011152007_UT.pdf




http://www.jnnurmwestbengal.gov.in/Others/uig_mpr_31122012.pdf


http://www.jnnurmwestbengal.gov.in/Others/uig_mpr_31122012.pdf


JnNURM Spending (Source: KMDA)


Decision making and implementation gap


According to David Banister: “the problem is what is sometimes known as

implementation gap between how we get good ideas…….and the

practicalities of decision making in the real world is constrained by institutional,

organisational and financial and other issues, so there is an implementation

gap between what should be done and what can be done and looking at the

ways in which that can actually be bridged.” (New Statesman Magazine, 2012). European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT, 2002)

however, concluded that, while cities were generally aware of the

most appropriate solutions, the implementation of such sustainable transport strategies was “more easily said than done”.

POLICY FRAMING



IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM APPRAISAL FUNDING

EXECUTION

MONITORING EVALUATION


I investigated barriers with respect to

cognitive limitations of individual stakeholders

to sustainable urban transport policy vis-à-vis

implementation gap leading to “urban transport crisis in Kolkata”



“implementation should not be divorced from policy. There is no

point in having good ideas if they cannot be carried out”.

(Pressman and Wildavsky, 1973, P 143)

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oV0yetu_GSQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=imp

lementation+pressman&hl=en&sa=X&ei=I8daUequCY3krAf2u4DgDg&ved=0CC4

Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

If you may like to read this book


http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oV0yetu_GSQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=implementation+pressman&hl=en&sa=X&ei=I8daUequCY3krAf2u4DgDg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA



Bounded Rationality by Herbert Simon

Herbert Alexander Simon (June 15, 1916 – February 9, 2001) the

Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics "for his pioneering research into the

decision-making process”.

This theory is drawn from the behavioural economics and psychology.

Simon’s research found that humans are not rational (not irrationality)

opposing to the age old belief as in rational choice theory.

It is also concerned with rational choice

Takes into account the COGNITIVE LIMITATIONS of the decision maker

It is concerned with human decision-making processes


KINDLY SAY THE COLOUR AND NOT SPELLING


The Key insight that Behavioral Economics borrows from Psychology


Normally the human mind works remarkably

well. Examples:

-Recognize people we haven’t seen in years

-Run down a flight of stairs

- Speak 12 languages

But people can be systematically wrong.

We are prone to biased judgment

CONTEXT


Bounded Rationality

“COGNITION” is the psychological result of perception and learning and

reasoning that is Cognitive psychology deals with high mental processes.

So Bounded rationality is the idea that in decision-making,

rationality of individuals is limited by the information they have

the cognitive limitations of their minds

and the finite amount of time they have to make a decision

Simon also used a Scottish word “satisficing” which deals with the

action process not necessarily optimum but good enough and near

to satisfaction considering the limitations of finite information, cognitive

ability, time and level of aspiration to search for alternative for optimum solution


Optimizing versus Satisficing


Optimizing strategies

search here

Satisficing strategies

search here

Optimizing versus Satisficing


structure of the

environment

(exogenous &

endogenous) cognitive limits

Simple Heuristic: fix

the angle of your gaze Heuristic: rule of thumb

Some quotes from the interviews with the policy makers


“principal point of the urban transport policy is that move people not vehicles and I think that this

policy as has been formulated fulfils the social and economic needs of the people and the overall fame work for the sustainable mission for sustainable urban development”.

“The present trend is to go towards non car based transport, that is public transport, cycling and

walking but the progress has been rather slow. Our ministry has been trying to promote non car

based transport like public transport, cycling and walking but the response of the states to the same has been rather slow” “The priority is obviously on non car based transport policies that is use of public transport

over private transport. But so far in implementation, very often private transport has got

priority. Most of the flyovers that have been made are benefitting mainly car owners, this is not desirable.” “....prescriptions of NUTP of 2006 in the strictest sense there is yet to be a proper reflection

in urban transport policy at the level of Kolkata. Even at the level of KMA also we do not have a policy as such. What we have is a set of plans which are mandated .JnNURM.”

Some quotes from the interviews with the policy makers


“......NUTP has incorporated the principle that pedestrians and pedestrian infrastructure need

special focus ...... but the guidelines of the JnNURM do not make explicit reference to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. This is one of the weakest links.” “...Calcutta we can now see crisscrossing of metro railway lines being built up. Calcutta was the first city in India where the underground metro first built.

“ Around Kolkata, the new townships and the satellite towns are being planned without paying much attention to transportation needs. We are putting the cart before the horse”

“Cycling I do not think is a very viable option in Calcutta; temperature, humidity and the rain and the

plight of the senior citizens make it quite difficult for people to use cycles……when all these public

network will grow they will carry millions of people around and I can very well see if we can plan it

properly will park their cars near metro stations and go long distances there and take some kind of a shuttle for the nearest mile connectivity” We have a very ambivalent attitude towards the tram way system, there are a lot of diverse

opinions but I think the present tram way system as it exists is not suitable for Calcutta. There are

so many ways of reviving the heritage aspect I don’t mind that.. I mean in the Maidan area if there is a heritage and the tourist go and have a taste of what it was like the toy train in Darjeeling

Some examples of unsustainable projects


http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?skin=pastissues2&enter=LowLevel&AW=1367324144938


Way forward


Source: Asian Development Bank


Old (pre-1947) nostalgic

photos of Kolkata

urban transport - kolkata

Education