Relevance for UPSC: GS II (Urban Governance), GS III (Infrastructure, Environment) | Source: The Hindu; 

Context

Rapid urbanisation and rising private vehicle ownership have made traffic congestion a structural problem in Indian cities, leading to economic losses, air pollution, and declining quality of life. The idea of “Goodbye Congestion” highlights that road expansion alone cannot solve congestion; instead, cities must shift towards sustainable and people-centric mobility systems.

Core Issues

• Induced demand: Wider roads and flyovers encourage more vehicles, negating congestion relief.
• Over-dependence on private vehicles due to inadequate public transport and last-mile connectivity.
• High external costs: fuel wastage, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and health impacts.

Sustainable Urban Mobility Approach

• Public transport as the backbone: metro rail, buses, suburban rail.
• Non-motorised transport (NMT): safe footpaths and cycling tracks for short trips.
• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): compact, mixed-use development around mass transit corridors.
• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): real-time traffic management and adaptive signalling.

Indian Policy Linkages

• National Urban Transport Policy: prioritises people over vehicles.
• Smart Cities Mission: integrated mobility and traffic management.
• AMRUT: urban infrastructure and public transport support.
• Aligns with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities).

One-line takeaway: Urban congestion is a planning failure, not a road-width problem—sustainable mobility is the only durable solution.