Human nature dictates that we must move to fulfil practically all of our wants. We began employing animals and then animal-pulled carriages with wheels to travel across great distances and carry our necessities on land. After the development of the vehicle and then the railroads in the 19th century, the distances and load-carrying capability multiplied. By the middle of the 20th century, the US automotive industry had a significant influence on how we travelled and even how cities were planned and constructed.
With the introduction of numerous international brands in the middle of the 1990s, we in Guwahati began to notice how much cars affected our lives. Owning a car became much simpler with cheap finance starting in the early 2000s as more private banks moved into the region. As a developing nation, India’s population had a strong desire to own and operate a private automobile. The majority of the car owners were their families’ first-ever car owners. Car manufacturers marketed their products as desirable possessions that not only allowed owners to move about with ease but also allowed them to flaunt their social standing.
Guwahati has long been the largest city in the region, and after 2000, it began to experience rapid growth in terms of its population, area, and number of vehicles. The city makes up 3% of the state’s population in 2022, with an estimated population of 1.2 million. Yet, out of the 50 lakh automobiles registered in the state, 12 lakh are registered in Kamrup Metro DTO alone, giving Guwahati and its surrounding area a 25% share.
With more people owning cars the problem of traffic congestion, in the city arose. The congestion problem has been highlighted by various people and it came to such a scenario that a PIL was filed by a Guwahati-based advocate at the Gauhati High Court in 2016. In August 2022, the HC instructed the formation of a panel to make a comprehensive assessment of traffic congestion and provide suggestions for manually handling the traffic congestion.
The Government, since early 2000, has reacted by enhancing the carrying capacity of roads by building flyovers. As of 2022, 8 Road Flyovers have been completed, 2 are under construction, and 3 more have been announced, all constructed by the state PWD. There are 5 over-bridges above Railway lines. The completed and under-construction 3 flyovers on the National Highway are under the purview of the NHAI. Moreover, eight foot-over bridges inside the city were supposedly made to ease pedestrian crossing at busy intersections. Also, there are 53 designated, by GMC, on & off-road parking areas across the city measuring approximately 10 km, of which 43 are free. There are 2 multi-level parking, managed by GMDA, with the capacity for 200+ cars in each that are currently free. Another multi-level car parking, maintained by ASTC is also available which is paid but no information is available regarding its capacity.
These actions don’t appear to be lessening the congestion issue. Since the previous 50 years, studies conducted all around the world have demonstrated that they do not ease traffic, but rather encourage more people to purchase and use automobiles resulting in increased congestion – also called the Induced Traffic Demand phenomenon.
After so many years of such interventions (of doing the same things over and over again), the scientific way ahead requires us to assess and evaluate if these measures had been successful in reducing congestion or achieving the stated goals. Creating infrastructure for moving vehicles in cities where people’s needs are different is very inefficient, and unsustainable as well as inequitable distribution of available road space. Apart from that there are both fiscal and physical challenges.
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Travel Demand Forecast for Guwahati predicts that the demand for private vehicles will increase substantially which will result in increased congestion unless proactive steps are taken to promote sustainable modes of transport.
The National Urban Transport Policy, 2006’s guidelines state that efforts must be made to raise the mode share for public transportation. This can be accomplished by expanding the number of buses, which the Assam government recently did by purchasing 200 electric and 100 CNG buses, an action that needs to be supported.
We must also be aware of the externalities created by the current measures, like rising pollution and elevated levels of stress and cardiovascular disease. Guwahati is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The primary causes of air pollution, according to the Assam Pollution Control Board, are vehicular emissions and dust from construction projects. The government is focused on and placing priority on the adoption of electric vehicles as a means to reduce vehicular emissions.
Unfortunately, due to several factors, adoption rates are extremely low, and by 2030, only around 35% of all vehicles estimated to be on the road will be electric.
Unless emphasis is placed on public transportation and facilities designed to encourage people to choose walking and cycling, congestion levels will not decrease. Instead, it will increase significantly even if all vehicles become electric.
The foundations of a climate-resilient, congestion-free, livable and modern Guwahati need to be laid today by following modern urban planning and transportation practices.
The author is Co-Founder, Pedal for a Change, Green and Active Mobility Forum. Views expressed are personal
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