Hope for a better public transport system?

Two recent news items came as rays of hope on the literally darkening horizons of the city of Delhi, darkening not because of the progressively shorter days but because of polluted air, which has been attributed mainly to suspended particles from the city?s growing fleet of automobiles. The first item was that the Mashelkar committee, which was entrusted with the task of recommending a national policy on fuels for automobiles, submitted its final report to the government last week; the second item also related to a report, which has been prepared by the Department of Transport, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, which outlines measures to make public transport in the city reliable, efficient, and commuter-friendly. The Mashelkar report states that the policy for the country must aim at (1) choosing fuels that are not only cost-effective but also address environmental concerns, and (2) protecting the consumers against disruptions in supply and steep and sudden rise in the prices of fuels. The report recognized that for the purposes of achieving best air quality it is not necessary for the government to mandate the use of any specific fuel or engine technology; the government should set upper limits on emissions through appropriate standards. This approach leaves the door open to the latest technologies and location-specific solutions as and when they are available. The report ? and this is where it treads common ground with the second report ? also points to effective transport management and augmentation of public transport and its efficient functioning as significant measures to curb air pollution in cities. The Department of Transport?s report is praiseworthy not only for its contents but also for the process that led to it. For the first time, and in a series of three conferences spread over a couple of months, the Department brought together all stakeholders in the transport sector. A number of useful suggestions emerged from the presentations and discussions during the conferences, which served as useful inputs to the Department?s report. Electric trolley buses, high-capacity buses running on dedicated roads, automatic vehicle location systems to track buses, and integration with the metro rail are some of the measures featured in the report. Perhaps the black cloud of pollution has a silver lining after all.