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Sustainable transport

Submitted To :
Chitkara Business School
B.com (Honours) - Department

Submitted By : Submitted To :

Hardik (2020991510) Dr.jasmine kaur

Manik (2020991523)
Aditya (2020991648)

CHITKARA BUSINESS SCHOOL

CHITKARA UNIVERSITY
2021
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Table of Content
S no. TITLE PAGE NO.
1. Abstract

2. Introduction

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
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Abstract

Transportation is a vital aspect of modern society, but it also contributes to a significant

portion of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. This research paper aims to analyse
current strategies for sustainable transport and identify potential solutions for reducing the
environmental impact of transportation in the future. The paper will begin by discussing the
environmental impact of transportation and the need for sustainable solutions. Next, it will
review current strategies for sustainable transport, such as public transportation, active
transportation, and electric vehicles. The paper will then examine the limitations of these
strategies and identify potential solutions for overcoming these limitations, such as the
development of new technologies and the implementation of policies that encourage
sustainable transport. The paper will conclude by discussing the importance of a holistic
approach to sustainable transport, which includes considering the social, economic, and
environmental aspects of transportation.
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Introduction

Transportation is a vital aspect of modern society, connecting people and goods to the places
they need to go. However, the current transportation system is facing several challenges,
including air pollution, traffic congestion, and dependence on fossil fuels. To address these
issues, sustainable transportation has emerged as a viable solution. Sustainable transportation
refers to the use of transportation modes that are environmentally friendly, socially
responsible, and economically viable.
IN the recent past, the word ‘sustainability’ has attained a prominent place in transportation
planning, policy and other documents. It can be broadly defined as ‘development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
needs’. In the context of transportation, sustainability would mean developing better
transportation systems, options and expectations consistent with the objective of securing
future social and economic development within a sustainable environment that ensures
community well-being. Sustainable transport can be achieved through measures pertaining to
transportation system management, energy management, capacity management and
environmental management Sustainable transport is also important for developing countries
from the perspective of climate change, i.e. to improve carbon footprint/ ecological footprint
(EF) of transportation. According to some of the studies conducted in the UK and US, it has
been found that road transport emits 22–25% of the total output of carbon dioxide. These
findings emphasize the need for achieving sustainability in transport not only from the
mobility and safety perspective, but also from the perspective of local and global
environmental issues. Also, from the responses of a recent survey of 522 stakeholders from
the world’s 25 major cities1 , it is found that the infrastructure related to transportation is the
most serious challenge faced by all cities (matured, transition and emerging cities).
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Background

Transportation has been a crucial part of human civilization, dating back to ancient times
when people used animals, boats, and carts to move goods and people. However, with the
advent of the industrial revolution, transportation has undergone significant changes,
becoming faster, more efficient, and more accessible. The transportation system has become
a vital part of modern society, connecting people and goods to the places they need to go.
However, with the growing population and increased demand for transportation, the current
transportation system is facing several challenges, including air pollution, traffic congestion,
and dependence on fossil fuels.

Air pollution is one of the most significant challenges facing the transportation sector.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes 7 million
premature deaths worldwide each year. The transportation sector is a significant contributor
to air pollution, with vehicles emitting harmful gases, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, and particulate matter. These emissions have been linked to several health problems,
including respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer.

Traffic congestion is another significant challenge facing the transportation sector. According
to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, traffic congestion causes Americans to spend an
average of 42 hours a year stuck in traffic. This not only wastes time and fuel but also
increases the risk of accidents and emissions.

Dependence on fossil fuels is another significant challenge facing the transportation sector.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the transportation sector is the second-
largest consumer of oil, accounting for around 33% of global oil consumption. This
dependence on fossil fuels not only contributes to air pollution and climate change but also
makes the transportation sector vulnerable to oil price fluctuations.
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Sustainable Transport

To address these challenges, sustainable transportation has emerged as a viable solution.

Sustainable transportation refers to the use of transportation modes that are environmentally
friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable. The concept of sustainable
transportation has been around for several decades, with the United Nations first proposing
the concept in the 1970s. Since then, the concept of sustainable transportation has evolved,
and several definitions have been proposed.

The European Commission defines sustainable transportation as "transportation that is

environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable." The European
Commission goes on to say that sustainable transportation should "reduce the negative
impacts of transport on the environment and public health, improve accessibility, and
promote social and economic development."

The International Energy Agency (IEA) defines sustainable transportation as "the use of
transportation modes that are energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and socially
responsible." The IEA goes on to say that sustainable transportation should "reduce the
dependence on fossil fuels, reduce emissions, and improve accessibility."

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sustainable transportation as "the use of
transportation modes that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and
economically viable." The WHO goes on to say that sustainable transportation should
"improve public health, reduce the negative impacts of transport on the environment, and
promote social and economic development."
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Importance of Sustainable Transport

Sustainable transportation is essential for maintaining a healthy and livable environment,

promoting social equity, and supporting economic growth.

 First, sustainable transportation helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air
pollution, which contribute to climate change and have negative impacts on human
health. By reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and promoting the use of electric
vehicles, public transportation, and active transportation, we can significantly reduce
our carbon footprint and improve air quality.

 Second, sustainable transportation promotes social equity by providing access to

transportation options for all people, regardless of income or location. This includes
ensuring that public transportation is affordable and accessible for low-income
communities, as well as providing transportation options for people with disabilities
and those in rural areas.

 Third, sustainable transportation supports economic growth by reducing

transportation costs, increasing productivity, and attracting businesses and jobs. By
reducing traffic congestion and optimizing travel routes, we can save time and money
for commuters and businesses. Additionally, the development of sustainable
transportation infrastructure and technologies can create new job opportunities and
support economic growth.

Overall, sustainable transportation is an essential aspect of creating a more sustainable and

liveable future for all. It is necessary to address the environmental, social and economic
challenges that we face today.
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Challenges Faced in Implementing Sustainable Transportation

 Cost: One of the main challenges faced in implementing sustainable transport is the
cost. Many sustainable transportation options, such as electric vehicles and public
transportation, can be more expensive than traditional options. This can make it
difficult for individuals and organizations to make the switch to sustainable
transportation.

 Infrastructure: Another challenge faced in implementing sustainable transport is the

lack of infrastructure. Many sustainable transportation options require dedicated
infrastructure, such as charging stations for electric vehicles, or dedicated bike lanes
for cycling. Without this infrastructure in place, it can be difficult to promote
sustainable transportation options.

 Public perception: Another challenge faced in implementing sustainable transport is

the public perception of sustainable transportation options. Many people may be
hesitant to switch to sustainable transportation options because they view them as less
convenient or less efficient than traditional options.

 Government policies: Government policies can also pose a challenge to

implementing sustainable transport. Without proper regulations and incentives, it can
be difficult to promote sustainable transportation options.

 Technology limitations: Another challenge faced in implementing sustainable

transport is the limitations of current technology. For example, battery technology for
electric vehicles is still developing, and the range of electric vehicles is limited
compared to traditional vehicles.

 Socio-economic factors: Socio-economic factors can also pose a challenge to

implementing sustainable transport. Low-income communities may not have access to
sustainable transportation options, and may not be able to afford the cost of switching
to sustainable transportation options.

 Climate change: Climate change is another major challenge to sustainable transport,

which can lead to extreme weather events, flooding and other natural disasters that
can damage transportation infrastructure, making it difficult to maintain and operate
sustainable transportation options.
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Future of Sustainable Transport

The future of sustainable transport is expected to involve a shift towards cleaner, more
efficient, and more accessible transportation options. Some of the key trends and
developments in sustainable transport include:

 Electric vehicles: The use of electric vehicles is expected to increase in the future, as
battery technology improves and the cost of electric vehicles decreases. Electric
vehicles produce zero emissions, making them a more environmentally friendly
option than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

 Public transportation: Public transportation is also expected to play a significant

role in the future of sustainable transport. With the increasing population and
urbanization, public transportation systems are expected to be expanded to meet the
growing demand.

 Bike-sharing and car-sharing: Bike-sharing and car-sharing schemes are also

expected to become more popular in the future. These schemes provide a more
environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to personal vehicle ownership.

 Autonomous vehicles: Autonomous vehicles are expected to become more common

in the future. These vehicles can improve traffic flow, reduce accidents, and improve
accessibility for people who are unable to drive.

 Smart transportation systems: Smart transportation systems, such as traffic

management systems, are expected to become more prevalent in the future. These
systems can improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, making transportation more
efficient.

 Biofuels: Biofuels are also expected to become more important in the future, as they
offer a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Biofuels are derived from
renewable sources, such as crops or waste, and produce fewer emissions than fossil
fuels.

 Intermodal Transport: Intermodal transport is expected to become more prevalent in

the future, as it allows for a more efficient and sustainable transportation system by
combining different modes of transportation.

 Air transport: The air transport industry is expected to reduce its carbon emissions
by using more sustainable aviation fuels and implementing more efficient
technologies.
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Achieving sustainable transportation system for Indian cities – problems

and issues

Urbanization
An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in
comparison to the areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or
conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as
villages and hamlets. The definition of ‘urban’ varies from nation to nation. The
definition of ‘urban’ in the Indian context is: ‘The towns (places with municipal
corporation, municipal area committee, town committee, notified area committee or
cantonment board), all places having 5000 or more inhabitants, a density of not less
than 400 per square kilometre, pronounced urban characteristics and at least three
fourths of the adult male population employed in pursuits other than agriculture, are
treated as urban areas’. According to the 2001 census1 , India has 393 towns with a
population of more than 0.1 million. Also, during the second half of the last century,
the number of cities in India with a population of one million and above has steadily
increased from 5 million in 1951 to 35 million in 2001, which is expected to further
increase to 70 million by 2025. Observing the historical trends of population growth
in India , it can be seen that the annual average growth rate in every decade has been
positive since 1931. A similar positive trend can be seen for the growth in percentage
of urban population to the total population since 1921, which is expected to increase
from 28% in 2001 to 58% by 2025. From the trends of the world’s urban population,
similar trends can be observed for developing countries compared to the developed
countries
Clearly, this growth of the urban population in developing counties has a definite
impact on travel demand and subsequently on urban mobility. It is clearly understood
that cities are the economical contributors of the nation with their 50–60%
contribution to GDP. But, the question is ‘how can an urban India survive with the
estimated population as indicated above’?

Motorization
Indian cities have registered an astronomical growth in registered motor vehicles in
the last decade . Booming economy, aspirations to own a car, unmatched public
transport (with respect to demand, comfort or both), the government’s encouraging
policies (open car market, easy loan schemes), etc. are a few reasons for increasing
motorization at a rapid rate. From 1981 to 2001, population increased by 1.9 times
in six major metropolises but the number of motor vehicles increased by 7.75 times1
. Also, energy demand in transport sector is projected to grow at 5–8% per annum.
The estimates of vehicular growth are unimaginable and threatening. For example
shows that cars and SUVs will increase 13-fold in 2035 with respect to 2005 statistics
under the do-nothing scenario. Unfortunately, a similar growth has not been
observed for bus fleets of major transport undertakings in India . In fact, the size of
the bus fleets has been decreasing in most of the urban transport undertakings
except in Bangalore where the annual growth is about 10%.
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Effects on safety
Safety is another important goal of transportation, and as Figure 6 shows, it is a major
worrying issue in India because of the ever-increasing trend of road fatalities.
Recently, WHO revealed in its global status report on road safety that India topped in
road accident fatalities, than any other country in the world, including the most
populous China. In India, the number of road deaths is increasing every year whereas
in European countries such as Germany, Sweden, England, Denmark, etc., the
numbers are either stagnant or reducing which indicates their higher sustainability
levels . In Sweden, the government is aiming at zero fatalities in road accidents and
advocating policies accordingly.

Effects on environment

If we consider the current state of sector-wise carbon emissions , it can be observed

that the transport sector has a major share of 26% of total carbon emissions as
compared to other sectors, such as energy, manufacturing, residential, commercial,
etc. Also, within the emissions from the transport sector, road transport has a major
share of 65% as compared to rail, air and water transport. Certainly, these facts are
closely related to the present trends of urbanization, motorization and modal share.
show fuel consumption per day in kilolitres and emissions per day in tonnes,
respectively, by different types of vehicles for different city categories. The major
share of fuel consumption as well as emissions is by cars and two-wheelers as
compared to buses, except for cities of Category 6, i.e. more than 8 million
population, where the fuel consumption is higher for buses but still the emission is
less compared to cars. This scenario clearly results from the prevailing imbalance in
modal split (as mentioned earlier), which is not only affecting mobility, but also the
environment. According to an Asian Development Bank report3 , transport-related
CO2 emissions from developing countries will contribute in increasing proportion to
global CO2 emissions unless mitigating measures are implemented soon. This
phenomenon can be understood from Figure 8 (assuming a datum of 100 for all
regions and/or countries in 1980 under reference scenario) which shows that the
maximum growth in CO2 emissions would be in the developing countries of Asia.
This projection is closely related to the projected growth in personalized vehicles,
namely cars and two-wheelers as observed in the previous section. To summarize this
section, most of the Indian cities today are typically characterized by high-density
urban areas, absence of proper control on land-use, lack of proper roads and parking
facilities, poor public transport, lack of road-user discipline, etc. This level and type
of urbanization in India has caused many problems, especially with regard to its
impact on the demand for infrastructure facilities. Urban transport systems have come
under heavy strain and this has adversely affected the quality of life of the urban
dwellers. Mass transport facilities in the cities are grossly inadequate for providing
fast, comfortable and convenient travel. This has resulted in heavy shift of commuter
patronage from mass transportation to private and intermediate transport and
consequently, a huge increase in intermediate and private vehicle ownership. The
introduction of small cars such as Tata Nano (people’s car), in the Indian market is
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further adding to the complexity of the transportation situation in the Indian cities.
The resultant effects are: increased traffic congestion and transport-borne pollution,
heavy fuel consumption, poor level of service to the commuter, etc. So, it can be
clearly said that the current systems and trends in Indian cities are not sustainable.
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Efforts made by governments

Realizing the magnitude of the problem, the central and state governments have taken up
some major initiatives in the recent past to achieve sustainability in transport. National Urban
Transport Policy 2006 In 2006, the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India
issued the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) document, which lays emphasis on
moving people rather than vehicles .
The following are the objectives of the policy.
• Incorporating urban transport as an important parameter at the planning stage rather than
being a consequential requirement
• Reduced travel demand – better integration of land-use and transport planning
• Equitable allocation of road space
• Improved public transport
• Introducing intelligent transportation system (ITS)
• Facilities for use of non-motorized vehicles
• Capacity building – individual and institutional
• Use of cleaner technology
• Innovative financing mechanism
The NUTP has now become the guiding document for all urban transport improvements in
Indian cities.
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Lessons Learned from Policies

The government of India is regulating its transportation policies from time to time.
However, there is nothing wrong with most of the policies but the serious issue is
about its implementation. In 2001, the government of India implemented "Integrated
Transport Policy" with a motive of making all transport systems parallel and enable a
spirit of competition among the public transport systems. So, the transportation
system can become efficient, sustainable, safe and regionally balanced. Despite this
policy, data reveals that there is still no control accidents, regionally transport system
remained imbalance. Even the vehicle population growth continues to rise and no
parameters of sustainable transportation have been seen under the control. However,
the guidelines offered in this policy are still relevant if policies are implemented in
reality. In another policy "India's National Urban Transport Policy 2006", the
guidelines suggest offering safe, affordable, speedy, comfortable and reliable
mobility. However, despite this policy, the government raises public transport fare.
For instance, in 2017, DMRC increase Delhi metro fare twice in a row and as a
consequence ridership declined by 15% (around 0.3 million) within three months.
India’s national urban transport policies have given special emphasis on fare
affordability but still, this policy has not been implemented to improve the urban
transport systems. So, most of the policies and guidelines issued by the transport
authorities or the government organization are only limited to policies and real effort
has not been made to implement on the ground level. India needs to learn from its
previous mistakes and try to improvise it in the future for the better outcome. If these
policies are not implemented in the reality then India will continue to face severe
transport problems as increase in private mode of vehicles, congestion, more energy
consumption, and environmental degradation and so on. The National Urban
Transport Policy (2014) has strongly recommended improving public transport
(accessibility, connectivity, safety to assure a reduction in the use of private vehicles.
But data clearly demonstrate that the numbers of buses are continuously decreasing
and the use of private vehicles is rapidly increasing. So, in this high time government
need to seriously implement these policies otherwise outcome could be dangerous in
future. The Road Transport Bill (2014) recommends safety and security of the
commuters. But data demonstrates that the total death in road accidents is higher in
2016 in comparison to 2015. These road safety rules should be implemented on a
serious note and special emphasis should also be given to pedestrians and cyclists. If
all policies are seriously implemented then India’s transport system can become
sustainable in the longer run.
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References

Ahmad, S., & de Oliveira, J. A. P. (2016). Determinants of urban mobility in India:

Lessons for promoting sustainable and inclusive urban transportation in developing
countries. Transport Policy, 50, 106-114.

Badami, M. G., & Haider, M. (2007). An analysis of public bus transit performance in
Indian cities.

Make in India. (2014). Make in India - New Initiatives.

MOHUA. (2017)Green Urban Mobility Scheme, 2017.
MORTH. (2014). Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014.
MORTH. (2016). Road Network by Categories from 1950-51 to 2014-2015.
MORTH. (2017). The Motor Vehicles (AMENDMENT) Bill, 2017