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Dear Friends,
Even as our lives have been upended by the pandemic, we continue to advocate for road safety, air quality, climate change mitigation and sustainable cities - all of which will help us lead safer and healthier lives in the long run.
We share some of our latest activities and efforts below.
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Air Quality Modelling for Pune City - Urban Emissions presents options to PMC
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A virtual meeting was held at the behest of Parisar by the Additional Commissioner of Pune, Mr Kunal Khemnar, inviting Dr Sarath Guttikunda of Urban Emissions to present the possibilities of conducting air modeling for Pune. The meeting was conducted close on the heels of the allocation of Rs 67 crores by the Centre for air quality improvement in the city. Pune is among the 42 cities which are eligible for air quality improvement funds.
Dr Sarath Guttikunda explained what they had been able to achieve through air quality modeling in Patna and how it could help Pune understand and act on its pollution levels. An analysis of the air quality of Pune in 2015 under the APnA program had revealed that the modeled source contributions highlight transport (including on-road dust), domestic cooking and heating, industries, open waste burning, and influence of outside sources as the key air pollution sources in the urban area. It also recommended that the city needs to aggressively promote public and non motorized transport and improve road infrastructure to reduce on-road dust re-suspension. Talks are on-going between PMC and Dr Guttikunda to see if Urban Emissions can be engaged for air modelling for the city.
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Parisar applauds the ‘cycle patrolling’ initiative by enforcement agencies
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In a move to maintain the health of police personnel and sense of security among Pune residents, the city police commissioner has started a ‘cycle patrolling initiative' at Samarth police station, Pune. Studies have shown and particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic that cycling has huge benefits on the respiratory system thus strengthening the immune system. Parisar has written a letter of appreciation and applaud this initiative. Parisar believes that this is a path breaking initiative being implemented by enforcement agencies and will have a tremendous impact on the mind of community people at large.
Parisar also hopes that this initiative would continue forever and shall also be implemented in other police stations to witness perceptible changes in the city. The more we adopt non motorized transport like cycling and walking the more it will benefit the city.
In the letter, Parisar mentions that Pune has a Pedestrian Policy and a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan, both of which will enable Pune to become safe and convenient for pedestrians and cyclists, and both of which require on-ground support by the Police.
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Parisar urges the State Government to immediately notify updated traffic fines
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In its ongoing effort to get Maharashtra to update its traffic fines in line with the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019, Parisar has written a letter to Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister Maharashtra, to issue an updated notification of Compoundable Offences under Section 200 of the Motor Vehicles Act. In the letter, Parisar has highlighted the lackadaisical approach being taken by the Transport Department of Maharashtra State which has failed to issue the critical Compounding notification under section 200 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The letter mentions that in the absence of this revised compounding notification on-road enforcement (challan system) by Police and RTO for amended sections is illegal and only court summons can be issued, which would add a burden on the justice system.
Parisar urged the Government to;
1. Immediately issue a notification u/s 200 of the Motor Vehicles Act for the setting of fines for the various compoundable offences, increasing the fines for those offences which are most relevant to road safety such as the use of helmets, seatbelts and speeding.
2. Gradually increase the fines through subsequent notifications
3. Strengthen enforcement and make it consistent, continuous and visible – and give political support and adequate resources to the enforcement agencies for this to happen
4. Make licencing process robust
The same letter was also sent to the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, New Delhi., Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). New Delhi. Transport Minister, Maharashtra Government, Mumbai., Director General of Police, Mumbai and Transport Commissioner, Mumbai.
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Parisar submits suggestions and objections to draft electronic enforcement of traffic rules
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The Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 added many new features to the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 with the aim of strengthening provisions for road safety. This included not only stiffer penalties for traffic rule violations, but also the legal provisions for electronic enforcement. While Police have been using cameras and issuing challans by sms for some time, there was no legal provision for doing so. The Amendment Act allows the Government to frame rules for electronic enforcement, the draft of which was published for suggestions and objections. Parisar has been pushing for stronger and stricter enforcement of traffic rules and electronic enforcement is a vital component of that effort. However, the rules should be unambiguous, fair and legally sound, so that they are effective. To that end, Parisar submitted detailed suggestions to the draft rules. Broadly the suggestions included -
1. The challans issued should be only for compoundable offences (usually minor offences) and should not allow a violator to get away lightly for more serious offences
2. Challans are issued in the name of the owner of the vehicle, but the law only holds the actual driver of the vehicle liable for punishment - so the owner should be required to provide information about who was driving the vehicle when the rule was broken
3. Since email and mobile number are not mandatory to possess a driving licence, challans should be sent to the registered address
4. Given the high number of wrongly issued challans (wrong licence plate numbers, wrong vehicle linked to the wrong person etc), owners should be allowed to contest the challans without having to go to court everytime this happens
The draft rules published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways can be found here and the detailed suggestions and objections filed by Parisar can be seen here.
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Parisar organizes a workshop on “Safe System Approach” for Pune Rural Police
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As part of the on-going capacity development programme being carried out by Parisar at the behest of the Transport Commissioner’s office, during the National Road Safety Month, the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Pune organized a workshop on "Safe System Approach" for the Police department of Pune Rural at their headquarter at Baner, Pune. The participants were officers in-charge of Police chowk across Pune district.
The workshop focused on the Safe Systems Approach to Road Safety, a unique and modern approach adopted in various countries globally. The workshop consists of a poll, followed by a short film and presentation.
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Implications of making IRC Standards mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act
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More than one and a half lakh people die in road accidents in India every year. With about 14,000 deaths due to road mishaps in the year 2019 (NCRB), Maharashtra ranks second in the country. Rapidly growing infrastructure, along with the wildly growing road transportation, is posing serious threats to human lives. Since decades we have been facing a lot of issues related to bad roads and traffic congestions, the most common causes for them being potholes, unkempt and poorly designed roads and substandard footpath conditions. These issues lead to accidents, many times even fatalities and most affected by them are pedestrians, cyclists and two wheeler riders. Given these issues, to reduce the number of casualties in road accidents, the Central Government has amended the Motor Vehicles Act in August 2019 (MVA19).
This article provides information on the MVA19 along with some examples of better road designs that are already implemented with road design guidelines and standards prescribed by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), Central Government and State Government of India.
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Study of Pedestrian Subways and Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) reveals poor conditions, violation of Pedestrian Policy
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This report captures the condition of 13 pedestrian subways and 9 FOBs in Pune city. The survey was carried out by visiting the structures and noting down basic information and conditions using the parameters defined in the city’s Pedestrian Policy which specifies how these must be maintained. The survey reveals that many facilities of subways and foot over bridges are poor. Most subways have poor lighting and ventilation. There is no lighting emergency backup in any subway or FOB. There is no fire fighting equipment in a single subway or FOB. Only a single subway has CCTV. Cleanliness is poor, there are instances of water seepage and the overall poor maintenance makes subways and FOBs unattractive to use. Parisar maintains that subways and foot overbridges are undesirable and should not be constructed. However, if decision makers are planning to make new subways and FOBs they must ensure that the ones that exist are properly maintained and used by people. The detailed report can be found here. |
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Neighborhood Speed Survey Project in Bhosale Nagar-ICS Colony
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Pedestrian deaths in 2019 hit their highest levels ever. Nationally, 17% of all traffic fatalities, a total of 25,858, in 2019 were pedestrians, a 14 % increase since 2018. The MoRTH report also tells us that 18% of persons killed were in residential areas.
Pedestrians are particularly susceptible to speeding vehicles. Residential neighborhoods also typically have high pedestrian traffic as local residents walk to shops, children, young adults and senior citizens walk in the locality and people of all ages enjoy morning and evening walks. Often vehicles in residential areas travel at higher speeds than can be considered safe.
STEP has developed a tool to conduct neighborhood surveys with the help of local citizens to understand the speeding of vehicles and problems related to it. It is expected that this survey will help local communities to understand the extent of speeding in their area, discuss solutions and use the data to advocate various traffic calming measures. The detailed analysis of a survey conducted in Bhosale Nagar-ICS colony in Pune revealed that almost all vehicles exceeded the 20 kmph speed limit. Cars were also found to be traveling at higher speeds (average car speed was 5 kmph higher than two-wheelers), posing a high risk to pedestrians. The tool and the pilot survey can be found here. |
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Women groups demand gender-responsive public transport in Maharashtra
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As part of the Lakh ko 50 campaign by Sustainable Urban Mobility Network (SUM Net) India, Parisar has released a public statement demanding that the Women and Child Development (WCD) department of Maharashtra play a key role in ensuring that the urban bus transport in the cities of Maharashtra are gender-responsive. This public statement has been endorsed by more than 80 women groups, organisations and individuals across Maharashtra.
The public statement includes following demands from the WCD department:
● Recognize the importance of mobility for women’s access to education, work, healthcare, places of leisure and thereby the link between mobility and women’s empowerment and economic independence.
● Include the goal of a safe, comfortable, reliable, accessible and gender-responsive urban transport system within the Women and Child Development (WCD) department.
● Develop a gender-responsive set of recommendations for strengthening urban transport systems, especially bus-based public transport across cities in Maharashtra
● Allocate resources from the department meant to ensure the safety and attainment of development goals for women.
● Champion a State urban bus-based public transport policy that is inclusive of the above-stated goals
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Women demand gender-responsive public transport at Parisar’s multi-city #SheCommutes webinar and event series.
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On International Women’s Day, Parisar organised six events in four cities as part of the Lakh Ko 50 bus campaign which demands that the Maharashtra State Government launch a comprehensive program to ensure that citizens are assured a good bus-based public transport system. Working women from different cities dependent on buses for their daily commute shared their experiences of travelling by buses. Poor frequency of buses which leads to overcrowding and thereby unsafe and uncomfortable journeys was common to everyone’s experiences. Women commuters in Mumbai expressed the need of increasing the number of women-only BEST buses. In cities like Amravati where the public transport is almost negligible, women are compelled to take expensive and unsafe options of shared autos even when their preferred choice is a bus.
The member organisations of Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti in Pune and the domestic workers’ union in Nagpur extended their support to the demands of Lakh ko 50 campaign and shared their experiences of commuting by PMPML buses. It was recognised that just like food, clothing and shelter, transportation is a fundamental need and necessary provisions must be made for it.
In addition, a web roundtable in Pune which saw the participation of an author, transport expert, activist, NGO workers and women group leaders, highlighted the need for women seats and women-exclusive buses from a citizenship perspective rather than discriminatory practice. Coordinated efforts and political will which cuts across different government ministries and departments, services which truly take into account the needs of women to access not just work and education but also leisure were other points that emerged in the discussion.
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Parisar joins commuters and PMPML drivers on community radio program on Transport and Smart Cities organized by Sociology Department of Savitribai Phule Pune University
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Ranjit Gadgil from Parisar joined regular commuters and PMPML drivers in a discussion organized by the sociology department of the Savitribai Phule Pune University about the role of transport in Smart Cities. This is part of the study being conducted by Prof. Shruti Tambe “Let's make our City Smart: Citizen centred approach to Smart City” exploring whether the Smart City has managed to meet the aspirations and expectations of common citizens when it comes to basic civic amenities and infrastructure. The commuters spoke not only about the issues and challenges in using public transport, but also their dependence on this lifeline of the city and suggested ways in which the services could be better.
The PMPML drivers, some of them having been in the service for many decades, spoke about their experiences, and their connection with the city as PMPML drivers. Ranjit explained that smart cities typically rely on technology to enhance services or make them more efficient. For instance, with PMPML the expectation was that GPS enabled services would allow commuters to plan their journeys better and for women, avoid waiting at bus stops longer than needed. Similarly e-ticketing would make payments less of a hassle and allow multiple trips on a single ticket. However, no such enhancements had been made even 5 years after Pune became one of the first cities to be included in the Smart Cities list.
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On Earth Day, Parisar hailed bus commuters as Earth Champions
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Parisar championed the bus commuters for their contribution to restoring the Earth as part of the Lakh ko 50 bus campaign. Bus commuters from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Amravati and Solapur acknowledged the role their modal choice plays in protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and quality of life. Understanding the link between quality public transport services and environment, moved the commuters from a place of disenfranchisement to empowerment. In a resounding echo, the commuters recommended #BusForEarth and demanded better bus infrastructure and services. |
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Tree plantation on Baner hill, Pune
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Parisar has been supporting the greening of the Baner hill in Pune since 2015. A group of local volunteers has been carrying out the tree plantation at Tukai Tekadi in Baner, Pune. Nearly 1000 different kinds of small and big saplings are planted every year during July to September.
Activities are carried out under supervision of experts from environment, soil, and agriculture fields. Local Indian origin trees and bushes are planted. Variety of medicinal plants, fruit trees and assorted flower trees attract bees and butterflies in the area. Due to forestation the groundwater level has considerably improved over the years.
Throughout the year different activities such as watering, trimming, fencing trees to protect from animals and protecting from diseases for survival of plants are undertaken.
Some recent activities include, watering the plants, tree guards and fencing, tree census, fire line creation, plastic waste collection, etc. You can find the photos and recent activities report here.
This activity is supported through the generous donations from Cummins India Foundation, Pritam Construction Pvt. Ltd., Global Advertising Services Pvt. Ltd, Murkute Sardar, Ravi Electricals and Electronics, Nextgen Project Management System, Trinseo India Trading Pvt Ltd, United Way of Mumbai, Frances Homewood and Mr. Jugal Rathi.
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The Hidden History of American Anti-Car Protests
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Among advocates of safe, sustainable, and bike-friendly mobility, the Netherlands has long been the success story to point to. But in English-speaking countries - especially the car-dominated United States - how useful is the Netherlands as an example to emulate? The question has been divisive.
Many have said that the Dutch example won’t suit the U.S.; its government presumably always favored cycling, and the American love affair with the automobile means the car will always come first here.
Read more |
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Ignorance is Bliss but Stupidity is Contagious
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It may seem strange to write on a topic other than the dreaded pandemic in these troubled times but it is actually related to COVID in more ways than one.
In many cities around the world, the forced distancing caused by the epidemic has seen a boost for cycling and ‘pop up’ cycle tracks leading to an increase in this mode – as much as 10% to 15% in some cases. Other innovative moves towards sustainable transport include creation of 30 Km/hr zones to ‘keep road traffic speeds down and boost so called soft mobility’.
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सार्वजनिक जागांचे शहरी समाज जीवनातील महत्त्व |
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शहराला जिवंतपणा कोण देत असेल तर त्या म्हणजे शहरातील सार्वजनिक जागा. विविध प्रकारच्या माणसांना सोबत जोडण्याच महत्त्वाचं माध्यम असतात या जागा.सार्वजनिक जागांच एकूण शहर विकास, शहरी सामाजिक जीवनात आणि माणसांच्या वैयक्तिक आयुष्यात सुद्धा खूप महत्त्व आहे. सार्वजनिक जागा शहरांच्या महत्त्वाच्या मालमत्ता आहेत. या सार्वजनिक जागा वाढल्या पाहिजेत, या जागांचे शहर व समाजात असलेले महत्त्व नेमके काय आहे यावरील ब्लॉग.
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Making a City Walkable: Fix the Parking
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The sheer increase in the number of vehicles on the road is the major cause of traffic congestion, parking issues and thus reduced walkability. Fixing the parking with an aim to increase walkability in the city is truly the need of the hour. This article focuses on how parking issues affect pedestrians in different ways and also about the possible solutions.
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Parisar advocates for sustainable, inclusive, safe and healthy cities and seeks to protect its built and natural heritage.
Due to a technical problem, parisar.org is temporarily not working and the blogs are being displayed on the STEP website which is part of Parisar.
We welcome your feedback on our newsletter.
Write to us at - newsletter.parisar@gmail.com
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Sign up for our newsletter
Get the latest updates on our projects, activities, and events. Sign up for the bimonthly Parisar Newsletter.
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Parisar,
Yamuna,
ICS Colony,
Ganeshkhind Road,
Pune - 411007
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