Summary Report of Panel Discussion on
Public Transport in Ahmedabad : Challenges Ahead

Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) under the aegis of AmdaVadmA, jointly organized the first panel discussion as part of a series of multistakeholder discussions on January 2, 2003, at AMA. The issue discussed was the "Public Transport in Ahmedabad : Challenges Ahead". Over 100 people participated in the discussion including various stakeholders such as college students, representative from Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association, AMTS Association and citizens.

An audio visual presentation on "Transport system in Ahmedabad" developed on the basis of two thematic discussions and series of other discussions with Ahmedabad Youth started the evening's proceedings.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Director, CEE mentioned that AmdaVadmA involved a variety of groups and not just decision makers bringing together different viewpoints. He felt that involving youth would create a constituency of young people who could take the forum forward. Speaking on the panel discussion topic he underlined the importance of understanding why once vibrant institutions and systems fail to perform.

According to Mr. Kirtee Shah, Honorary Director, ASAG, who was an integral part of the AmdaVadmA magazine, AmdaVadmA is an instrument to articulate issues related to people survival, services and larger developmental issues. He said that there is a greater need for such a forum now than ever before.

Prof. Shivanand Swamy gave a detailed presentation on the Transport System in Ahmedabad. Some salient features of Prof. Shivanand Swamy's presentation include the issue of increase in two wheelers, reducing share of public transport, problems in planning of road infrastructure, issues of maintenance, illegal parking, inadequate human resources for traffic management and the large share of pollution by two wheelers followed by three wheelers. Some significant points towards dealing with this issue include maximising access vis-à-vis mobility, learning from examples of public transport systems in Mumbai and Delhi, optimising use of existing resources and setting up of appropriate institutional mechanisms.

Mr. Bimal Patel, Director, Environmental Planning Collaborative, presented building plans of three buildings with movement charts indicating from where all the people working in these buildings come from. He emphasised on reducing number of free parking spaces and on developing the concept of concentrating residential spaces around the work place to enable people to use less transport.

Mr. Surendrabhai Patel, Chairman, AUDA, mentioned about the road infrastructure initiatives undertaken by AUDA recently, making a special mention of the impact of developing the 132 feet ring road on traffic movement.

Ms. Elaben Bhatt, Director, SEWA, discussed the problems of the informal sector which include hawkers. She mentioned that though this sector contributes a large part to our economy, it is the most neglected. While mentioning the various problems of the poor vis-à-vis transport issues, she talked about the issue of perception among the planners and decision makers wherein the "poor" are the first to be evicted for encroachment. She stressed on the need for a policy for hawkers and vendors which is closer to their problems and issues.

Mr. K.K. Ojha, DCP, Ahmedabad Traffic Police, presented various measures which Ahmedabad Traffic Police is undertaking for traffic management. He said that there have been drives to stop rickshaws running on kerosene-mix fuel in Ahmedabad. This included approaching the Civil Supply department to cancel licenses to those kerosene suppliers who supply it to rickshaw drivers. Answering a query on "hawkers selling eatables in rickshaw on the university road and bribing the traffic police", Mr. Ojha said, youth groups could be formed who could communicate to him about such incidents and action could be taken against such police men.

The discussion was quite lively opening various issues and problems of Ahmedabad Transport. AmdaVadmA intends to organize a series of such panel discussion on issues of concern in the city's environment, bringing together various stakeholders to discuss and identify areas for stakeholder participation in improvemenFollowing are the important points made by each panelist:

Prof. Shivanand Swamy, CEPT
Topic : Present Scenario of Transport in the city

Issues

• Largest Metro City of Gujarat. Present Population : 45 lacs
  
• Stock of Vehicles
  Large Vehicle Population
  AMTS Buses only 400
  
• Rapid growth of vehicles - 11% p.a.
  
• Six lakh two wheelers serve about 22 % Trips
  
• AMTS serves only 8-10 %!
  
• One third of the people walk - no footpaths
  
• Another 15% Use Bicycles - 3.2 lakh bicycles in the city
  
• Staff Bus Ratio 10:15 (India-Urban 8:73, Private 4:6)
  
• About 50% fleet>11years. Average Fleet Age of AMTS is oldest in India. (AMTS 12.8 Yrs. , India-Urban 6.64 Yrs)
  
• Problems in Planning Missing Hierarchy Discontinuity
  Multi-arm junctions
  Partially developed right-of-way
  Lack of pedestrian & parking facilities
  
• Parking area within premises developed sold as commercial space illegally
• Increased usage of private vehicles, poor performance of Public Transport System
  
• Lack of coordination in landuse and transportation
• Absence of Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan
• Maintenance of transportation infrastructure
• Resource Constraints
  

Suggestions

• Roads to be developed to their full Right-of-Way-Widening and road upgradation, removal of encroachments
  
• Shift from Mobility approach to Accessibility Approach Required:
  Objective of transport should be
  to maximise access and not
  moving vehicles
  
• Promote competition, improve efficiency and productivity
  Privatisation
  Professionalisation
  
• Junction improvements, synchronization of signals
  
• Parking should be provided within the premises
  
  

Mr. Bimal Patel, Environmental Planning Collaborative
Topic : Parking Issues

Issues

• Free Parking should not be available
  
• Suggest AMC to discourage parking of vehicles on streets as they are using it for private purposes
  
• More than haath laris, encroachment is due to parking
  

Suggestions

• To promote public transport, reduce the no. of parking areas and not increase
  
• Develop more areas like C G Road
  
• To reduce congestion, concentrate on your jobs in the city at certain fixed places and don't spread them out
  

Shri Surendrabhai Patel, Chairman, AUDA,
Topic : Road Network

Issues

• Planning of good road network is required
  
• Public participation is very necessary for widening roads
  

Smt. Elaben Bhatt, Director, SEWA
Topic : Hawkers and Transportation

Issues

• Hawkers are not a problem, hawkers are a solution
  
• Informal economy contributes to the city in terms of employment as well as in terms of income. In 1997-98, hawkers have contributed 46% of Ahmedabad's income and their share in contribution is increasing rapidly
  
• Permission to big buildings also increases the number of vehicles as each family staying has one scooter and car, which in turn, creates encroachments as roads are still the same and vehicles have increased
  

Suggestions

• Majority of city's planning discussion includes only individualized and motorized ehicles. Hawkers should be taken into consideration while discussing city's planning.
  
• Informal sector like hawkers, vegetable vendors, etc., spend half of their income in transportation. While planning transport, instead on focusing on traffic, vehicles, roads, flyovers, new technology, the problems faced by the "poor" vis-à-vis transportation should incorporated. The user perspective must be brought into the planning process.
  
• Like the transport policy, a hawkers and vendors policy should also be planned
  
• Traffic manual should be planned according to our city's problems and not as per the western countries' models, which is the case today
  
• Public Transport is a must for every class of people as it is cheap and environment friendly
  

Mr. K K Ojha, DCP, Ahmedabad Traffic Police
Topic : Traffic Issues

Issues

• Ahmedabad roads have 15-25 lac people on the road, 40,000 hand carts (haath laris), 1.5 lacs hawkers, 500 bullock carts, which creates maximum congestion and pollutio
• Loss of Rs. 100 crores per year in terms of traffic jam and Rs. 300 crores in terms of health generated by the pollution
  
• Traffic management contains three e's - engineering, education and enforcement where it is said that engineering contributes to 50%, 40% to education and 10% to enforcement. In Ahmedabad, engineering is playing a good role but education and enforcement, the situation is total reverse.
  

Suggestions

• Multi-disciplinary approach is required for traffic
  
• Traffic Department should merge with knowledgeable people and planners
  

Mr. Kirtee Shah, Honorary Director, ASAG
Topic : Transport issue in AmdaVadmA forum

Five positive things about the country
1. Metro in Delhi has met with fair success and Mr. Sridhar has proved that we can manage city and urbanisation
2. While comparing metro with western countries, we should look at our achievement of Bombay Metro, which carries 50 lacs common men every day in India.
3. Delhi CNG proved that pollution can be managed

Suggestions

• Planning of transportation should bedone considering people and their affordability
  
• Transportation should also include poor sections which is very essential
  
• Macro perspective planning is needed
  

Other stakeholders included experts from Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS), Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), RTO, Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association, College Students, Academicians, Architects, Traffic Police Department, etc.

Vehicular emission, the prime contributor to pollution in the city, is on the rise thanks to an increased number of private vehicles. Old technology and adulterated fuel are also factors that contribute to the the heavy presence of Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM), RSPM, Carbon dioxide, etc. It may not be incorrect to say that Amdavadis are breathing in carcinogenic on a regular basis and slowly but surely reducing their life span.

The discussion started with highlighting the fact that Ahmedabad is the most polluted Indian city in terms of the air quality. Mr. Bhanujan said, "What happens to urban life if the environment of the city is not kept safe, liveable?" Under the light of Economic development, Chemical industries and Vehicular pollution has done a lot of damage to the state's

environment. Explaining their plans, Mr. Bhanujan said, "Process has started to lay down the infrastructure to introduce CNG and LPG in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, which will later be expanded to other cities like Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and other cities in the state". The major challenge would however be the resources required to implement these plans.

Ms. Sunita Narain presented the improved scenario of the air pollution of Delhi after the introduction of the CNG. She showed a deep concern about the air pollution in Ahmedabad and pointed that 'Ahmedabad is passing through the same phase as Delhi earlier had in vehicular pollution. "The situation in Ahmedabad and many other cities is equally grim as that of Delhi then why is there so much delay in introducing the cleaner fuels in these cites too… she herself has no answer to this," she said. Based on her experiences, she also presented an agenda for action to deal with the vehicular pollution of Ahmedabad.

Mr. Tyagi and Mr. Vyas presented an Air Pollution Control Action Plan for Ahmedabad. The Action Plan includes, among other things, a proposal for CNG pipelines reaching Vadodara by December 2003, which would get extended in a phased manner to Ahmedabad by July 2004 and to Mehsana by December 2005.

The representatives of GSPC and GAIL expressed their interest in developing the required network for laying down of pipe lines to supply CNG and LPG in the region. Dr. Sinha from NIOH presented the health effects due to air pollution. Mr. Mahendrabhai Dave, Secretary, Auto-Rickshaw Driver Association, mentioned that change in technology would mean extra expense which was beyond the means of an average auto rickshaw owner. He also stressed on the need to curb easy availability of adulterated fuel which would deter auto rickshaw owners from using it.

In the discussion, the possibilities of alternative technologies and alternative fuels (other than CNG) were also discussed. As the technology keeps on improving, it was concluded that though CNG is not Zero Emission Fuel, but is the best alternative fuel available presently.

On arguing about the availability of funds as major hurdle for shifting to CNG, Ms Narain strongly commented - "Our right to clean air is not negotiable". It is very important to develop a public awareness and a strong public consensus and for that media has to play a vital role.

It was strongly pointed out that instead of debating about the effectiveness of CNG and waiting for even better opportunities and thus delaying the process, its better to get on with the job and continue improving upon it.

Following are the important points made by each panelist:

Shri K V Bhanujan, Chairman, GPCB
Keynote address

Issues

• Awareness on environment was very very low while planning the city, for eg., Gandhinagar, newly planned city, has right now become so polluted.
  
• Economic development and environment have a symbiotic relationship because unless you tackle the problem of unemployment, poverty, sanitation, water supply, environment problems cannot be solved.
  
• Right to life includes right to environment which is an established thing, enforceable, part of fundamental right and part of constitution.
  
• 75-80 per cent of air pollution in the city is because of vehicles and that also, not particularly vehicles but due to the fuel adulteration, kerosene, solvent, etc.
  
• Long term solution of CNG will cost money and funds are a major problem.
  

Suggestions

• Under article 61A, it is the fundamental duty for the citizens to protect and preserve the environment and the citizens need to be made aware of it.
  
• An action plan for pollution control has been submitted to the Supreme Court on the lines of the Delhi experience.
  
• CNG and LPG is the long term measure against increasing pollution and will be implemented shortly.
  
• There should be more tight a law.
  
• Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation has taken the lead in providing the network of CNG.
  

Ms. Sunita Narain, Director, CSE

Issues

• Air is a cocktail of toxins: Deadly air
  - Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM)
  - Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10)
  - Carbon Monoxide (CO)
  - Benzene
  - Ozone
  - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
  - Sulphur Dioxide
  - Nitrogen Dioxide
  
• In 2000, Ahmedabad was the worst polluted city due to PM10; PM10 levels exceed the national standard by about four times.
  
• Evidence from Indian cities show that vehicles are the major contributors to air pollution - 60-70 per cent.
  
• Two-wheelers, majority of which are two-stroke, constitute over 83 per cent of the vehicle fleet and passenger cars constitute 14 per cent.
  
• While passenger cars increased by 70 per cent and two-wheelers by 40 per cent between 1996 and 2000, buses increased only by 2 per cent.

Suggestions

• Convert entire bus fleet and auto rickshaws to CNG.
  
• Toxic pollutants like benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ozone, carbon monoxide should be monitored regularly. No estimate of the extent of fuel adulteration exists today.
  
• Give fiscal incentives to shift. Keep CNG prices lower than replacement polluting fuel.
  
• Adulteration testing methods should be improved.
  
• Build pressure for new norms for Pollution-Under-Control (PUC) certificates. Current norms set in 1971.
  
• Public pressure. Remember all this will require us. All of us. Working and pushing.
  

Mr. Sanjiv Tyagi, Member Secretary, GPCB
Action Plan

Issues

• Higher Concentration of SPM and RSPM in various locations : Major source is Vehicular Pollution.
  
• Lack of Education and Awareness on Vehicular Pollution and Related Issues.
  
• Need for Intensified Ambient Air Quality Monitoring by various agencies including AMC and voluntary agencies.
  
  Initiatives and Efforts by GPCB
  
  
• Drive on checking of vehicles for PUC and fuel adulteration has been intensified in a coordinated manner. Various agencies including the GPCB, Traffic Police, RTO, FSL are involved.
  
• Prepared Ahmedabad Air Pollution Control Action Plan jointly with the Forests and Environment Department, Government of Gujarat.
  
• District level Task Force has been constituted under the Chairmanship of District Collector, Ahmedabad, to monitor the implementation of various steps of the action plan.
  
• Industry specific meetings to begin the implementation of charters has been started which will have salutary effect on the environmental quality of Ahmedabad
  

Mr. J K Vyas, Director (Environment),
Department of Environment and Forests Air Pollution Control Action Plan

Action Proposed

• To launch a drive to stop usage of kerosene, particularly in three wheelers and commercial vehicles.
  
• Intensify drive for checking vehicular emission and procurement of necessary equipments for this purpose.
  
• Strict Implementation of the ban on supply of loose 2-T oil at petrol station/service garages.
  
• To establish advanced fuel testing laboratories to ascertain quality of the fuel.
  
• Phasing out of old vehicles
  
• All new vehicles to be registered only if they are either Bharat-II compliant or they run on cleaner fuel
  
• Counter checking of PUC certification to ascertain its reliability.
  
• Change over to LPG/CNG/Bharat-II compliant diesel and petrol engines.
  

Mr. N M Desai
Gas Authority of India Ltd.(GAIL)

Issues

• Most of our Indian cities are to be provided with adequate gas pipeline system which is essential for supplying of CNG.
  
• Infrastructure for its distribution needs to be created which is a huge task.
  

Suggestions

• With lower emission levels and other advantages which are more than the existing fuels, CNG is poised to become a fuel of urban India.
  
• CNG is especially ideal for Indian cities because the distribution of CNG is easier for intracity vehicles rather than intercity vehicles.
  
• Adequate mechanical expertise is available in the cities.
  
• In addition to reduction in pollutant, natural gas also emits significantly lower amount of green house gases and toxics other than the gasoline vehicles.
  

Mr. Mahendrabhai Dave,
Secretary, Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association

Issues

• Only 25,000 rickshaws needed, instead 60,000 rickshaws existing in the city.
  
• Cost of rickshaw is Rs. 80,000 and in turn, fare is also increasing. As middle income group cannot afford this fare, there are 6-7 passengers in one rickshaw.
  
• If CNG becomes compulsory, rickshaw drivers cannot afford to convert the kit.
  

Suggestions

• Prepare an action plan for controlling pollution considering India and Ahmedabad and not America and England.
  
• Arrest those who sell kerosene and not the rickshaw drivers.

Dr. Sinha
National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH)

Issues

• Routine analysis regarding the particulate matter, SO2, NOx is done by GPCB but monitoring of organic air pollutants, i.e., highly carcinogenic compounds, should be also carried out.
  
• Diesel should be stopped as a fuel because the octane number is greater and due to greater octane number it produces maximum concentration of the organic compound and particulate matter.

Suggestions

• CNG is the best remedy for time being solution
  
• Old vehicles should be removed.
  

Mr. Desai
Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC)

Issues

• If CNG is to be developed effectively, necessary infrastructure is needed for a very rapid conversion from diesel to CNG.
  

Suggestions

• By year 2005, the density of CNG fuel vehicles in Gujarat would be highest in the world by which Ahmedabad would be benefited.
  

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Following the presentation by the panel members, there was a question and answer session from the audience which was addressed by the panelists.

Topics

Pollution

Q. What are the five most polluted cities in India?
A. As per orders, by Court, they have identified five cities equally or more polluted than the city of Delhi - Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bangalore, Calcutta and Pune and this keeps changing. But today, in recent times, Kanpur is the most polluted city.

Q. Why CO is not been monitored regularly?
A. It should be monitored regularly but there are other parameters like benzene, etc. We are trying to work out a policy as what could be done in this regards?

Q. GPCB has collected lot of data on pollution. But, within 2 years in school and if we visit doctors and pediatrician, diseases due to pollution have increased a lot, especially in winter. In newspaper, before few days it showed that maximum disease in India was found in Ahmedabad. What steps can be taken?
A. After the action plan, we are also thinking of discussing it with NIOH so we can also come to know the health effects of it.

Q. What about the improvement of PUC system?
A. You have to bring new standards. PUC standards which are today were made in 1971 which are useless and have to be changed. Second, you will have to pressurize companies which make car and check the emission level and then sell. So, warranty of emission should be there of every car. Then the PUC system becomes powerful, because then if someone is arrested, then that person can go to the company and inquire about his emission warranty.

Technology

Q. Is it just changing to CNG and not solving the problem and adulteration?
A. CNG can't be adulterated. Still better fuel can be used - Yes, hydrogen is the better fuel but it has not been commercially developed. I think by all available standards, CNG is the best solution.

Q. Why Gujarat State govt. is promoting CNG and why not LPG?
A. We are promoting both - depending upon the availability, demand and supply.

Q. About changeover to CNG and its impact; how good is it for climatic conditions of Gujarat?
A. Climatic conditions of Gujarat are not very different from Delhi or Mumbai. That is not an issue today. Issue is getting the best technology. There are lots of dirty CNG technologies around. CNG is not a magic wand. Its not something which you wave around and everything will become clean. It is incrementally, or rather, in terms of options available, it is definitely the best option we have today, but those choices will have to be made very carefully and you will have to be very careful, whoever is managing your CNG programme, will require a lot of public scrutiny. You will have to understand what is the level of technology coming in, and whether it is going to add to the pollution or reduce the pollution, and that is very important for the people of Gujarat and Ahmedabad to get involved in the discussion. It is too important to be left to the regulators. This is an important issue.

New Systems

Q. Can we introduce system like Singapore - tax f0r using certain routes, etc.?
A. Yes, it has been done in London also. This suggestion should be considered.

Q. Can diesel rickshaws be banned?
A. We have already kept a proposal to ban but the govt. has not approved.

Q. Should we use more cycles?
A. Due to development of city planning's, cycle has totally got destroyed. We have to work on taxing and pricing policy. If a person uses car then he should pay road tax ten times more than bus. If using bus then it has to be subsidized. So policies should be changed.

Action Plan

Q. What is the status of action plan?
A. Action plan implementation is ongoing activity and it is been monitored by two committee. It can be also available to the public.

Q. Is there any coordination between various departments dealing with environment pollution? Are they functioning?
A. The presentation made here would have given you some idea that we are trying to bring all agencies and department under one umbrella like GPCB and Dept. of Environment and Forests.

All who wanted to be heard had an opportunity to present their views.

The discussion was quite lively opening various issues and problems of vehicular pollution in our city. AmdaVadmA intends to organize a series of such panel discussion on issues of concern in the city's environment, bringing together various stakeholders to discuss and identify areas for stakeholder participation in improvement.

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Other stakeholders included experts from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), College Students, Academicians, Architects, NGOs, etc.

The discussion started with highlighting the fact that lakes play a pivotal role in aquatic ecosystem. They are the most integral part of our city and needs to be maintained. In 1865, there were 218 lakes which decreased to 113 in 975 and today only 62 lakes exist in the city.

pressure is very necessary for development of lakes inthe city.

Shri Pavan Bakeri emphasised the need for making our city more liveable and attracting more people.

Following are the important points made by each panelist: