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The ecological cost of road travel

J. Nanda Gopal

HYDERABAD, April 3

RAPID urban growth, a consequence of higher incomes, has created tremendous demand for motor transport adversely impacting on environment and the health of people. Though the transport sector growth reflects favourably on national development, it becomes unsustainable if it endangers the lives of people for whose welfare it is supposed to play the role of a catalyst.

According to Dr Y. Satyanarayana, ONGC Chair Professor of Energy Management at the Administrative Staff College of India, providing transport services that effectively meet the needs of people without causing damage to the environment is a major challeng e of the day.

In most cities, road traffic accounts for more than 90 per cent of health threatening pollutants. To sustain the road transport system, certain strategic decisions are necessary. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, sustainability mea ns improving the quality of life while living within the carrying capacity of the supporting eco system.

Private modes such as two-wheelers, cars and jeeps provide flexibility and are regarded as symbols of social progress. The declining performance, reliability and market share of the public sector transport and the easy availability of finance at reasonab le rates of interest to buy vehicles have spurred a rise in ownership of personal transport.

Though the personalised transport vehicles have registered an annual growth of 15 per cent to 20 per cent, there has been no corresponding growth in roads. With the result, traffic congestion, vehicular pollution and threat to safety have gone up alarmin gly.

There are some hardware and software solutions to the environmental sustainability issues in road transport. The hardware issues comprise technological factors such as emission control technologies, improved engine design and technology, cleaner fuels, a lternate fuels (CNG), alternate propulsion systems and catalytic converters and all these have the potential to reduce emissions.

They need huge investments which are beyond the capacity of developing countries. The software solutions are in the nature of policy decisions of the Government. They include measures such as fixing and monitoring ambient air quality standards, emission norms, levy of emission and congestion taxes and encouraging public transport.

Two wheelers occupy about 90 times, cars about 60 times and three wheelers about 35 times more road space than buses for the same travel demand. Car consumes about five times more energy than bus while a two-wheeler consumes about 2.6 times and a three-w heeler about three times more energy for the same travel demand.

Similarly, a car emits 90 times more carbon monoxide than a bus to meet the same travel demand. A two-wheeler emits about 50 times more carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons than a bus. Pollution by buses individually may be more due to poor maintenance but t heir greater capacity in passenger kilometers represents better use of fuel and low pollutant emissions.

Petrol-driven vehicles are known to emit more carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons while diesel vehicles release more nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and suspended particulate matter. The cost of damage to health and other social consequences caused by air p ollution in New Delhi has been estimated at Rs 43.60 per kg of vehicular pollutants.

Studies have shown that on an average a two-wheeler emits about 56.5 kg, a car 165.5 kg, a three-wheeler 265.6 kg and a bus or truck about 472.3 kg of pollutants annually. The pollutant cost of each type of vehicle can be worked out to about Rs 2500 for a two-wheeler, Rs 7000 for a car, Rs 12,000 for a three-wheeler and about Rs 20,000 for a bus or truck.

An appropriate land use, town and transportation policy can significantly improve ambient air quality by reducing travel demand and trip length. Effective traffic engineering and management can substantially improve the traffic flow, minimising the numbe r of halts, uneven speeds, sudden braking and idling of vehicles.

It will result in reduced vehicular emissions and energy consumption.

A transport policy must ensure economic sustainability by creating a competitive, market-based transport sector. It must also satisfy environmental and ecological sustainability by reducing health threatening effects and controlling congestion and pollut ion.

Finally, the policy must pave the way for social sustainability by providing the poor with better physical access to employment, education and health services. To ensure that the remedial measures work effectively, a strong Government commitment and proa ctive institutional role are necessary.

A sustainable transport system must also adopt appropriate technologies and traffic management, Dr Satyanarayana says.