Citation

Tiwari G. Indian Highw. 1995; 23(9): 21-29.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Indian Roads Congress)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

The paper presents some results on traffic composition and trip characteristics in Indian urban areas, and presents arguements for a dedicated infrastructure for non-motorised vehicles (NMVs) in such areas. Some Indian urban traffic studies wrongly assume that the share of non-motorised traffic in cities will decrease sharply as city size increases. Their calculations ignore the facts that the roles of these non-motorised modes, including cycling and walking, change with increased city size, but continue to be important. This is confirmed by the statistical tables that are presented: (1) population and traffic composition for 14 Indian cities; (2) composition of trip flows on selected corridors in these cities; (3) estimated trip characteristics in urban areas; and (4) traffic composition in different areas of Delhi. Investment in a dedicated infrastructure for NMVs can directly address: (1) traffic congestion due to heterogeneous traffic; (2) transport air pollution; and (3) increased vulnerability of NMVs to traffic crashes. Such a structure provides hope for a future where non-polluting environmentally friendly NMV modes travel under safe conditions, also allowing efficient operation of motor vehicles.