Interesting video specifically on the disappointing state of public transport in India. Major takeaways for me:
- Many Indian cities are investing in (expensive and flashy) metros, which are posting disappointing ridership numbers, but
- Most Indian commuters are travelling distances short enough that biking or using rickshaws are quicker
- India’s metros are significantly more expensive for riders than other methods of transport
- Bus fleets in Indian cities aren’t growing, while their populations are expanding rapidly
- Traffic engineers/policymakers suffering from carbrain (sound familiar?)
Interesting watch, I’d say, as a non-Indian who doesn’t see much content about the world’s most populous country posted much
Did I hear that right? He took a tuk-tuk to go 200m? That’s… walkable, surely? I’m sure I do that every day on my commute.
The public sentiment is against walking because its unsafe. Most Indian towns/cities have no walking infrastructure, with no road discipline from vehicles, walking or biking is a death trap. Taking a rickshaw even 200m is worth the money because it keeps you alive. And no, this isn’t hyperbole unfortunately.
I spend a fair bit of time in Nepal, so I have a good idea what it’s like there. My point is, it should be walkable.
Agreed. However as the article/video mentions, the public policy for making biking walking possible is severely lacking. I also think the traffic enforcement needs to be very strict. There’s no point making sidewalks to then have motorbikes drive on it.
You have sidewalks in India? In Kathmandu, you mostly walk in the street or the gutter that runs down the side.
They’re building them in many tier 2 cities in India now. But its very patchy. You’ll have good sidewalks for 100m, then nothing for 200m. So pedestrians don’t use them since they can’t be asked to keep getting up & down all the time, dodge hawkers & avoid open manholes/drainage.
Whats the threat? People? Animals? Poisonous insects?
Cars. Probably.
Vehicles.