T

he grim future of cities played out in Paris

recently. Smog wrapped the city and air pollu-
tion increased beyond safe limits. Pollutants,
particularly particulate matter measuring
less than 10 micrometre in diameter (PM10) reached
unsafe levels of 180 micrograms per cubic metre,
against the WHOs permissible limit of 50 micrograms
per cubic metre (24-hour mean). Though bad weather
contributed to this high concentration, the principal
cause, as is often the case, was increased fuel emission.
The city authorities had to take drastic steps to reduce
pollution since prolonged inhaling of particulate mat-
ter would cause respiratory diseases, lung cancer and
cardiovascular ailments. They imposed restrictions on
the use of cars, permitting vehicles with odd and even
number plates to ply only on alternate dates and en-
couraging shared use of cars. People were allowed to
use buses, Metro rail and other public transport, be-
sides shared bicycles, free of charge during weekends.
The reasoning was that restrictions and incentives
would encourage commuters to shift to public trans-
port, thus reducing pollution. Initial reports indicated
that these measures worked, and congestion had come
down by 60 per cent. Free use of public transport cost
the city about $5.5 million a day, but considering the
public-health interest it was a necessary investment.
There is a lesson or two here for Indian cities. The
Central Pollution Control Board has listed more than
70 cities that have violated ambient air quality stan-
dards. Places such as Delhi and Ludhiana have unac-
ceptable levels of PM10 198 and 259 micrograms per
cubic metre respectively. Mitigation efforts thus far
have been limited to improving the fuel efficiency of
vehicles. Enhancing emission norms is necessary, but
equally critical is the need to increase the use of public
transport. Delhi is a case in point. The Environment
Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for the
Delhi region, in a recent report, stated that all gains
made by converting buses and three-wheelers to Com-
pressed Natural Gas have been lost to a rapid increase
in the number of private vehicles. The level of partic-
ulate matter has increased substantially over the years.
Though various urban policies have stated that public
transport is a priority, on the ground, investments have
not matched intentions. The modal share of public
transport has steadily declined in the large cities. It is
only in recent years that State governments are trying
to increase transport options by building metro rail
networks. This alone may not deliver. Integrating city
functions with transport plans and encouraging non-
motorised transport such as cycling are also critical.
The future of Indian cities is inextricably tied to the
improvement of public transport.
Road to
urban future