Prospect of dirty, toxic air back as India unlocks. Here’s what govt can do to keep it clean

Famed urban planner Jane Jacobs once lamented that we are building cities for cars rather than people. Covid provides India a chance to reverse this trend.

File image of Delhi smog | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

As India begins to lift the Covid-19 lockdown, its cities will start to buzz again with economic activity. The usual honking, traffic congestion and jostling for space that defines urban India will recommence. 

Having grown up under smog-filled skies, many wonder if the clean air in our cities can be retained beyond the lockdown, without the accompanying economic and social costs. 

Unfortunately, evidence from countries that have resumed normal activities suggests that despite increased public awareness, air pollution is likely to rebound to pre-pandemic levels in the absence of decisive policy action.

A shift towards personal mobility

After the relaxation of lockdown restrictions in China, its people appear to be avoiding mass-transit options when commuting to work. This is understandable, given the challenge of social distancing and increased likelihood of contracting the virus on buses and metro trains. 

Passenger volumes on Beijing’s metro system have reportedly fallen 53 per cent below pre-virus levels, while subway use in Shanghai and Guangzhou is down by 29 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively. 

At the same time, auto companies are reporting a strong rebound in vehicle sales. This behavioural shift, if sustained, could have severe repercussions for air pollution in cities.  

A similar story is likely to play out in India as lockdown restrictions are eased despite rising infections. The central government has mandated that local trains and metros must remain closed until further notice, to prevent the spread of infections. 

Many states, too, have mandated that buses must operate only at 50 per cent capacity to ensure social distancing on board.

While efforts that minimise the spread of infection are important, it must be noted that these decisions will hamper the lives of the middle-class and low-income commuters who are heavily reliant on public transport to get to their workplaces. Those who can afford private vehicles (two-wheelers or cars) are likely to stay away from public transport.

The downfall of India’s public transport system

The shift towards personal vehicles could exacerbate the difficulties faced by India’s public transport system, which has been plagued by financial losses, poor service quality and a lack of punctuality in the past. 

These factors have led to privileged commuters gradually abandoning the network and opting instead for personal vehicles and shared mobility like car-sharing. 

There has been a decline in the use of public transport in urban India from a high of 60-80 per cent in 1994 to an estimated 25-35 per cent in 2018, mainly on account of a lack of adequate city bus infrastructure. 

The total number of buses remained flat from 2014 to 2017, while the number of two- and four-wheelers have been constantly rising. Unsurprisingly, this has coincided with a growth in air pollution in Indian cities, with vehicular pollution accounting for 28 per cent of PM 2.5 emissions in Delhi during the winter months. 

An opportunity for public transport reform

Commuters who can’t afford to switch to personal vehicles will become entirely reliant on the public bus system to commute to work after the lockdown is lifted. 

There is a danger of a major shortfall of buses, especially during rush hour, given the spillover of commuters from closed metro and local train services and the reduced passenger capacity of buses.

This is an opportune moment for state and local governments to allow private buses to operate within cities and introduce competition in the sector. Licensed private operators can supplement public bus capacity during rush-hour timings and cater to different socio-economic groups. 

A number of innovative bus models have cropped up around the world, including shuttles, app-based services and luxury buses, but they fall foul to regulations in India. In many states, for example, private buses are only allowed to operate on contract carriage permits, which allow passengers to board at a specific pick-up point and be dropped off at a particular drop-off point, which limits their attractiveness for many commuters. 

On the other hand, state-run buses are allowed to obtain stage carriage permits, which allow passengers to board or get off a bus anywhere along its route.

Local governments have been reluctant to provide stage carriage permits to private operators due to pressure from ailing state transporters. However, private buses might be the only solution available to relieve pressure on India’s crumbling public bus system during the pandemic. 

The entry of private buses must be complemented with reforms of the public bus system, including regular fare revisions, quality improvements and the integration of technology to inform commuters of bus timings, to improve its financial viability after the pandemic. 

Innovative measures for local trains and metros 

The central government must also reverse its decision to keep local trains and metro services closed, since they are the lifeblood for many commuters in large cities like Mumbai and Delhi. 

India must instead encourage train operators to increase their frequency, especially during the rush hour, and incentivise offices to stagger their opening and closing hours.

Governments can also appoint crowd-control officers at each station to ensure there isn’t overcrowding in train coaches, and mandate the use of face masks to reduce the risk of infections spreading. 

Ultimately, if Indians need to learn to live with the virus, it is important that all segments of society be allowed to resume normal economic activity, rather than only the affluent who can shelter themselves in personal vehicles.   

Beyond public transport policies, local governments must also invest in long-term public health by implementing congestion taxes in cities and building dedicated cycling lanes. The famed urban planner Jane Jacobs frequently lamented that we are building cities for cars rather than people. Covid-19 provides India a unique opportunity to reverse this trend. 

Siddharth Goel is the founder and CEO of Rethinking Public Policy, a South Asia-focused public policy consulting firm. He writes about innovative public policy ideas on his blog.