The Transport Tangle

Urban people in India have a lot more transport options to commute within the city and between cities. With the boom of the airline industry a lot of us have a lot more choice. Low cost airline, night flights, luxury buses, the super fast trains all catering to specfic needs are boon to many passengers. But there are as usual the disadvantages. The main disadvantage of road travelling is the condition of the roads. Widened roads are necessary to reduce the traffic. The potholes in the road are unique to the Indian roads. A journey which can be completed in 2 hours will take 3-4 hours. In case of the railways it is the speed. Most trains arrive late at the destination though trains in the south keep up time most of the time. The superfast trains having limited stops travel at an average of 55 km per hour while international standards are 200 km per hour. The low cost airline is the third point in the triangle. Airline tickets are available atless than the cost of first class rail fare. Eariler booking results in cheaper fares. Faster transport but the destinations are limited unlike the railways. Only the metros and the mini metros are covered.

Commuting within the city has become a hassle in major metros. Congestion, unsafe travel conditions and environmental pollution are a few issues involved. A few people suggest that making private transport costtly and restricted can control the situation. Few others suggest that encouraging people to commute by walking or cycling can bring the vehicular traffic and the associated illeffects down. Rail based transits are doing well in cities like Mumbai,Kolkatta, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. Frankly I have my doubts on the dependablity of public transport for everyday commuting.