Affordability Of Travel In Delhi
Auto rickshaws with a total modal share of 5 %(MoUD, 2014), serve as a crucial last mile connectivity mode in Delhi. The autos with a share of 20% in access and 23 % in egress trips (Rahul Goel, 2014) act as a feeder to the metro rail in Delhi. In adjacent areas of Gurgaon and Dwarka, due to limited metro network and inadequate bus services, an auto rickshaw is the only public transport option available.
A typical household in Delhi spends 8.65 % of its total household expenditure on transportation (as per the Delhi Directorate of Economics & Statistics, 2010). The cost has further increased with fare revision in metro to the minimum fare of INR 10, up from INR 8, and the maximum fare to INR 60, up from INR 30. The fare revision of the auto-rickshaw sector, on one hand, is increasing the income level of the auto drivers but on the other hand, is impacting the affordability of travel in Delhi. The revised auto fare has increased the minimum fare to INR 25 for the first 1.5 km from the earlier fare of INR 25 for 2 km. The proportional cost of travel in Delhi with respect to household expenditure is very high in contrast to other global cities, like, Shanghai (2%), Singapore 2%, and Amsterdam (6%). With an increase in the fare of metro and auto rickshaws, the situation of the public transport captive commuters in Delhi has worsened.
Consider the example of a typical middle-class urban commuter in Delhi traveling Janakpuri to Connaught place a distance of 16 km. He will spend INR 163 if he travels by auto rickshaws and INR 90 if he commutes by metro and uses auto rickshaws for first and last mile connectivity. On an average of 5.6 lakh, people are dependent on autos as a feeder to Delhi metro(Rahul Goel, 2014).
The objective of increasing fare is to improve the livelihood of the auto-rickshaw sector drivers. Then instead of increasing the fare, operation cost should be reduced. This could be done by transitioning them to electric auto rickshaws. The operation cost of the electric auto rickshaw is approximately 70% (TERI analysis) lower than the ICE- CNG auto rickshaws. By switching to electric the daily operational profits will increase by 7.5 % (TERI analysis). Additionally, it is a cleaner and sustainable mode of travel which would also help in reducing air pollution without impacting the overall cost of travel of commuters.
The increase in the growth of shared electric rickshaws as feeders to the metro was also due to the high operating profit of the vehicle. E-rickshaws also offer a clean fuel based sustainable solution for last mile connectivity in Delhi. However, these are categorized as informal modes of travel due to their slow speed, poor battery technology, and safety risks.
Thus, policy interventions should focus on striving for sustainable transportation solutions. Globally, non-motorised transport (NMT) modes are adopted to reduce the first and last mile cost of travel and provide a sustainable solution. The policy structure empowers the pedestrians and cyclists by providing safe and efficient mobility infrastructure. In the case of Delhi, 37% of the total trips are NMT based but the users are primarily captive users and face high risk to their life from accidents and exposure to vehicular pollution. These concerns are primarily due to inadequate NMT based infrastructure such as pedestrian walkways, pedestrian signals, cycle lanes, public bike sharing, etc. Therefore, policy interventions should also focus on holistic solutions thereby improving the mobility in Delhi.
Thus, there should be the adoption of innovative mechanisms that will increase the share of public transport and bring down the overall travel cost for commuters in Delhi. It is crucial to take into account the impact on the total transportation cost while implementing any intervention in passenger transport.
