tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614760608725061478.post8425928057072159201..comments2023-07-18T06:01:05.816-07:00Comments on Transportation Problems and Policy: New Delhi's BRT WoesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614760608725061478.post-85894210142916770852013-04-28T18:57:55.375-07:002013-04-28T18:57:55.375-07:00Thank you, Daniel, Jamin and Brenda for your thoug...Thank you, Daniel, Jamin and Brenda for your thoughtful comments. In response to your questions:<br /><br />Daniel - I think ridership is not the issue Delhi's transportation infrastructure is dealing with - it's congestion and overcrowding. Right now, Delhi is struggling to meet demand with supply. When I was working in Delhi and couldn't afford a car, the buses were my only option and the source for my greatest stress because of the overcrowding (I would have to skip several buses because there would be no place to even stand). Therefore, in my opinion, every extra bus on the road counts!<br /><br />Jamin - I think Brenda got to the heart of your question. For a very long time, Indians have been using buses, two-wheelers and cycles to get around. Back in the nineties, it used to be great matter of pride to own a car - a sure sign that you are no longer middle-class. With the new millennium and the economic boom that followed, owing one car puts you in the middle class - the new dream is a minimum of two cars and it's growing. And that's true for homes too - everyone now wants a bigger apartment, which are possible only in newly minted suburbs. So yes, car ownership is still a matter of great pride and joy for middle-class India. That documentary really captures the essence of the cultural underpinnings in India. <br /><br />As for your second question, I definitely think the democratic structure of the government does prove to be a hindrance but not for the reasons you suggest. I think the struggles with transit have more to do with corruption and the personal agendas of those in power. And, using the judiciary system is an effective way to stall a project. There is every possibility that a case like the one I mention in the post, could take a decade to resolve, by which time, the project is no longer relevant. Then, of course, are the continuous squabbles over jurisdictions that delay a project even further. In short, and completely in my own cynical opinion, democracy in India manifests itself in all the wrong ways. The collaboration and partisanship that would come with such a government are perhaps nonexistent or superseded by bureaucracy and corruption.<br /><br />Brenda – I think everyone uses a BRT. A lot of people in India use public transit because it is simply impossible to drive on the clogged roads. Even on a bus, I would never know if it would take me 20mins or an hour and a half to reach my workplace. I do think you really get the cultural issues behind public transportation in India. Let’s hope that any demographic studies conducted will be used to push for the expansion of this line!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09596028660419321572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614760608725061478.post-77007568038567495992013-04-28T09:21:58.928-07:002013-04-28T09:21:58.928-07:00Sravya, thank you for sharing this story. Like Dan...Sravya, thank you for sharing this story. Like Daniel mentioned, it is interesting to think about India's BRT line in comparison to other, large developing urban cities. What made a BRT line work in Bogota or Mexico City and not in Delhi? One issue might be that they only implemented one lonely line, not allowing the real effects of BRT to take effect. Also, other forms of regulation/incentives to deter drivers could help make a bus line look more appealing to the nonbelievers of transit. Mexico City, for example, added parking meters, a bike program and removed low passenger vehicles from the road to make driving more of a hassle and active transit more attractive. <br /><br />Your last line really summarizes what I was thinking throughout your article; "A developed country is not one where the poor own cars. It is one where the rich use public transport.”It sounds like the rich in India want to hold on to the idea of owning a car because it is a symbol of a higher class structure. You did, however, mention that the BRT line was mostly used by commuters. Are these commuters going to office buildings or service jobs? The WSJ article does focus on the class struggles in India and its role in the BRT issue. I love that public transit has become the boiling point for the rich citizens who refuse to except that a bus may be better than driving. <br /><br />It will be interesting to learn more about the demographics of the ridership along the line. The studies that come out about the BRT line will surely clear up just who exactly is trying to rule the road in Delhi. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12442086184758261321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614760608725061478.post-77553408666551805542013-04-22T17:51:39.807-07:002013-04-22T17:51:39.807-07:00You mention that India is enamored with suburbaniz...You mention that India is enamored with suburbanization and car ownership. What do you think are the cultural factors that drive this motive? I've also noticed the phenomenon, especially in a recent documentary film on Mumbai that follows the story of a middle class family attempting to buy their first car. The film also follows story lines of transportation planners building highways and a citizen advocate for public transportation. Check it out if you have some time:<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCp_uztlrKs<br /><br />Related question: compared to China, which uses a lot of autocratic, top-down planning to push through major transit projects, do you think India struggles to introduce transit because of a more democratic governance structure, which opens itself up to legal action and citizen opposition?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13439452558518903147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614760608725061478.post-18777530781432173532013-04-22T16:18:24.990-07:002013-04-22T16:18:24.990-07:00I find this really interesting especially when con...I find this really interesting especially when contrasting it to the BRT line in Bogata. It is interesting that all this debate is over just the single line in a 14 line plan. I will be interested to see if the populous becomes more interested as the BRT lines grow to include more people benefiting from it. Are they trying to reach more users with the BRT that the current Metro is not reaching? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15827980202686398380noreply@blogger.com