Transport Regulatory Body - Long Overdue

Watchdog May Soon Put Brakes On Vehicles You may soon have to think twice before taking out your hot wheels. The government is considering setting up a regulatory transport body, which would have the power to enforce physical restrictions on the use of personal vehicles and limit the availability of road space for them. The regulator would set a cap on the number of cars per household by restricting ownership of vehicles and also wield powers to suspend and cancel licences in case of traffic violations and accidents. The proposal has been mooted by a committee on public transport chaired by Planning Commission member Anwarul Hoda. The committee comprises secretaries from various ministries and departments, including road, transport & highways, power, petroleum & natural gas, and economic affairs. TERI director-general RK Pachauri and CSE director Sunita Narain are also part of the committee. The committee has suggested identifying busy areas, including popular shopping destinations in every city, as “traffic-free zones”. It also proposes to levy a congestion charge on personal vehicles. “A good example is the congestion charge imposed in Singapore and London. A quota-based certificate of entitlement scheme for restricting vehicle ownership in Singapore could also be introduced. Both measures are aimed at promoting public transport system,” a senior government official said. With a view to rid the sector of unscrupulous practices and to improve the quality of services, creating an environment of strict enforcement of rules is a prerequisite, the official pointed out. “For this, specially-designated regulatory bodies, with the authority to lay down minimum basic service standards for the transport industry, impose heavy fines, and pursue vigorous prosecutions for accidents would be set up,” the official added. The government may make it mandatory for all arterial roads to have a minimum 2.5-metre pedestrian path and proper street furniture and 2.5-metre bicycle path preferably in each direction. “This would help reduce fuel consumed per passenger travelled through the modal shift,” the official said. The safety of walking and bicycling is a prerequisite for controlling global warming. The government is of the view that these measures would also help attract large players to invest in the industry. According to government officials, greenhouse emissions can be reduced by linking urban development with transportation planning to improve access to goods and services while minimising the need to travel by charging the cost of externalities, such as congestion, pollution, climate change, public infrastructure, and reducing subsidies for private vehicles.