Population growth and lack of efficient, sustainable, and trouble-free public transport system lead to rising in the numbers of personal vehicles in Delhi which leads to increased traffic congestion in Delhi-NCR. There are over 1 crore vehicles in the State and it is predicted that all junctions and roads in Delhi would have outlived their capacity by 2021. Furthermore, traffic speeds are expected to go down to 5 kph (the same speed as walking) by 2030.
While investment in infrastructure is a part of the solution, global research shows that there are more long-term strategies that need to be developed to address the issue of congestion in Delhi.
The Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2021 states that “The Vision for Delhi is to have a mobility transition which will deliver a sustainable urban transport system for the city that is equitable, safe, comfortable, affordable, energy-efficient and environment-friendly; a system that satisfies the mobility needs of all sections of the population and enhances their quality of life.”
Traffic congestion is a public policy issue and solicits a policy response that can strike a balance between urbanization and urban mobility. In Delhi, several policy initiatives have been undertaken but have not yielded the desired outcomes. This is primarily due to a gap between the public consultation process and the needs & demands of the public that are largely been neglected.
