[MadinMumbai]

A boxing match I'd like to see - Environment Minister in the blue corner vs the Transport Minister in the red corner. (And in states where the same sorry chap is doing both jobs I'd like to see the match anyway)

I don't have facts or figures but my hunch is that we in India lose at least 20-30% fuel in traffic jams caused by poor roads.

In Mumbai I'd wager 40-50% of our fuel is wasted due to traffic jams. I keep hearing about the pronouncements our new Environment Minister in Maharashtra makes and can't help thinking about the gazzilion tons of CO2 emissions caused by Mumbai traffic. Something that can be easily fixed if the road intersections in Mumbai were better paved.

The standard movement procedure to cross a traffic intersection in Mumbai goes something like this:
Light turns Green - Set out - Stop! - Descend into pothole- Stop! Navigate the best line- Make good use of the 1st gear- Emerge out of the crossing. Go on to the next traffic signal/open right turn.

Repeat!

Till your car, spirit or back gives up.

A traffic intersection that should normally take a couple of seconds to cross ends up taking 10 to 15 seconds at least. Thus causing endless pile-ups of cars. All with ACs on soaking in the good stuff put out by the petroleum gods. And this is the condition of each and every intersection in the suburbs. Something that any civil engineer, with a modicum of honesty (or sense), could fix easily.

Could we request governments start with the low-hanging fruit that are easy pickings? Just fix the traffic intersections and see a drastic reduction in traffic jams.

[Kosfactor]

I agree that traffic bottlenecks need to be managed.

But if you unclog Junction 1, you`ll now create another Jam somewhere else

It is better to plan for wider roads and faster signal free corridors downstream before we unclog any major traffic bottlenecks - example Silk board in Bangalore.

[libranof1987]

As they say, never let a crisis go waste. What's the point in solving problems if money can be spent (and earned) in the process of perpetually solving problems.

/s

[fhdowntheline]

The traffic jams in Indian cities is because of the disparate capabilities of vehicles. In the developed countries, you more or less only have cars and heavy commercial vehicles on the roads, only occasionally do you see 2-wheelers.

Here, you have anything starting from a hand-cart, bullock cart to a moped to Bullet to autorickshaw to an Alto all the way up to a Lambo, and not to mention commercial vehicles from the Piaggio Ape to Ace to 407 to 1210SE and beyond ! It is next to impossible to regulate such traffic.

The only thing that may work is to restrict certain class of vehicles on certain roads. The Mumbai-Pune expressway is not available for anything below 4-wheelers, even though compliance is less than 100 %. As a result, to a great extent, the traffic is smooth.

[raksrules]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

As they say, never let a crisis go waste. What's the point in solving problems if money can be spent (and earned) in the process of perpetually solving problems.

/s

I saw a character say something on similar lines in a TV show. "Why find a cure for something if you can just "treat" it?". Cure is one time, treatment is Ongoing. We know what is better financially (not for end user).

[CEF_Beasts]

Metro construction is making traffic worse, but once completed let's see if it can give car owners some pleasure to drive on the roads, considering people start using the metro instead of travelling by 2/4wheelers.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Metro construction is making traffic worse, but once completed let's see if it can give car owners some pleasure to drive on the roads, considering people start using the metro instead of travelling by 2/4wheelers.

I believe this is a fallacy that road traffic will reduce after Metro. I am not discrediting your quote. But I personally believe Metro commuters will mainly be those who still prefer Public transport, Bikers /Scooter goers and few who will have easy and nearby access to Metro for both - home and office.

Car users will continue to use cars. Immediately after lines are open, we may see some drop in traffic but again after some time, Metro use will increase and so will car use. We are accustomed to take a little bit of suffering over some other factor that may be in our favor.

Delhi Metro ridership is strong but still we have a lot of cars on road and traffic in Delhi during peak periods.

I guess during non-peak hours, traffic will reduce in Mumbai after metro opens. Peak hour traffic will remain same more of less.

Regarding roads and rules - We know the level of education of our Politicos and some of the municipal staff. We know their priorities. We need to vote with our priorities, ask them questions when they ask for it and hope for the best. Without doing so, we are bound to suffer more.

[Livnletcarsliv]

It is the responsibility of both citizens (public) as well as government (bureaucrats, politicians).

Laying wider roads and designing roads with minimum signals will not solve the traffic menace if drivers/riders don't adhere to the road rules.
And lane discipline is totally absent. 99% of the public does not follow traffic rules.

A system (which includes both 1.4 billion people and processes) that is a mess already cannot be changed just by a simple and single point of action.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MadinMumbai

Something that can be easily fixed if the road intersections in Mumbai were better paved...A traffic intersection that should normally take a couple of seconds to cross ends up taking 10 to 15 seconds at least...And this is the condition of each and every intersection in the suburbs. Something that any civil engineer, with a modicum of honesty (or sense), could fix easily

Well, not really; take the famous Vytilla junction in Kerala, roads are good, but are narrow. Well, GA also has narrow roads & has more tourists as well, but still very less congestion.

Silkboard & Tin Factory junction in Bangalore? Wide enough, good roads, but still the traffic jam. Please see this thread that gives a great insight

So why does this congestion happen? Simple!! ME FIRST attitude of people rather than you first. US junctions are sometimes opposite of what happens here; all 4 cars are the junction waiting for others to make their moves & no one moves despite there's no congestion to move. That's you first attitude.

[IamNikhil]

Even with the advent of the Metro service (whenever it is available across the city), there will only be a marginal reduction in car traffic. The crowd profile of people who will diligently take the Metro would predominantly be of those who already prefer other available public transport at the moment, viz. local trains, buses, auto rickshaws, taxis, etc. A person (e.g. A corporate honcho) who is accustomed to traveling in his own car will still continue the same way.

Also, while we are hearing sermons from Ministers regarding how we should be more environment friendly, conserve fuel blah blah, let them first give up their swanky gas-guzzling SUVs and stop using 20-car convoys to be ferried around everywhere.

IMHO, signals can definitely be managed in a better way, but at the end of the day, there's only limited space available for traffic to be streamlined, considering many stretches are dug up due to infrastructure upgradation work.

[antz.bin]

While it's not wrong to say that starting the metro will have no effect on traffic, it's imperative for a metropolis like Mumbai to have a functional one.

Even the suburban trains must be upgraded to fully Air-conditioned. Indian railways has already made public it's plans to phase out Non-AC coaches from long distance trains. Time to do the same with local trains. Why should traveling stuffed like sardines be an acceptable mode of transport? Why can't local trains be 100% longer to accomodate the required number of people in comfort?

As someone once said, 'A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use Public Transportation.'

The Über rich with the 1Cr+ cars will probably never switch. But we have the rest who could, and it is the job of the administration to make the public transport option more desirable.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

....Here, you have anything starting from a hand-cart, bullock cart to a moped to Bullet to autorickshaw to an Alto all the way up to a Lambo, and not to mention commercial vehicles from the Piaggio Ape to Ace to 407 to 1210SE and beyond ! It is next to impossible to regulate such traffic...The only thing that may work is to restrict certain class of vehicles on certain roads.....

This is the biggest bane of Indian roads.

We can't possibly hope for good traffic flow, if everyone from a pedestrian to a 18 wheeler has to share the same 10-20metres wide tarmac. We can all talk about how everyone should be treated equally and has equal rights. But it will all end in the current situation.

The unnecessary fuel wastage, time wastage, man hours lost and the accompanying mental agony of fender benders and in the worst; damage to health and life all stems from the chalta he attitude and absence of traffic manners and planned infrastructure.

We have missed a lot of buses and trains, so we can't just copy the western urbanist utopia either. Some balance has to be achieved.

[Kosfactor]

When we have all industries concentrated into a single city , it is chaos. A solution will be to offer incentives to companies that invest in strategic less developed towns all over the state. Once a certain number is achieved, approve more industrial parks in adjacent towns.

For instance do we need all industries and state administration and defense establishments and education establishments in the same city? I don't think so.

But in the end, proper road infra has to support all economic activities, that is not negotiable. Metro is nice for those who live in already established areas , it may not work for everyone.