People friendly cities

Walking around in Mumbai is one of the most difficult things to do. Sidewalks are a contested space; hawkers, pedestrians and animals always vie for a firm footing. Since independence, the development of our country has consistently been on the path of aping the west. So, if large scale industry, high rises and increased highways and roads were seen say in the US, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that India would follow suit.

The common citizen is very rarely given a second      thought in this whole ambit of ‘infrastructural development’. In our city, the only people able to afford private transport are the upper strata of the city’s population. Owning a private vehicle is very much an aspiration of the burgeoning middle class and still out of reach even with increased car purchasing options. Two wheelers are still the preferred choice although even those are relatively unaffordable. Considering this, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that the majority of Mumbai’s citizens rely on its efficient but yet insufficient public transport.

At PUKAR today, Faizan Jawed, a recent graduate in architecture, screened his work on the role of public transport in sustainable humane habitats. The last four months has taken him to cities across the world, cities that have shown considerable progress in people oriented transport. He showcased cities that have taken to the bicycle culture like fish to water, prioritizing quality of life. His film talked about cycling and walking as two major methods of commuting that have helped ‘green’ up cities and improve the quality of air.

Interestingly enough, the efforts towards minimizing vehicular traffic and maximizing people friendly roads, came from a strong public will which gave way to a political will.

However, public will is difficult to generate when historically, money and politics have had (and continue to have) a powerful hold on infrastructural development. Like with all issues, where there is money there is power, and money turns the wheels of politics. So industrial tycoons will always work hand in glove with politicians, lobbying for capitalistic policies that favour exclusive development over inclusive development.

Constructing highways and expanding roads to accommodate growing vehicular traffic serves a section of the population able to afford private transport. It doesn’t mean that public road transport will increase with wider or better roads. Enhancing public transport and creating citizen friendly commuting policies will do much more for the city and its people, rather than symptomatically injecting a cure for its explosive traffic problems.