Shalini Saksena speaks with Dr Anup BandivadekaR of International Council on Clean Transportation about what needs to be done on war-footing to tackle air pollution

Has anything changed in Delhi since 2016 when it comes to achieving a more sustainable transport system?

On the positive side, Delhi started receiving ultra-low sulfur (10 ppm sulfur) fuel from April 2018 and much of NCR has it from April 2019. This helps reduce pollution load from even older vehicles by a small amount. The biggest impact of the fuel quality improvement will only be felt after BS VI vehicle emission standards come into effect in April 2020. A variety of electric mobility taxi services are becoming available. The Delhi Government has drafted ambitious electric vehicle policy, including a plan for electrifying much of Delhi’s bus fleet. So far that is only on paper. Recently adopted Delhi parking policy is a step in the right direction indicate that we are slowly starting to come to terms with the kind of solutions needed to address our mobility, and air quality needs.

Last year when the scheme was introduced, it didn't have much impact. Do you think it will work this time?

Delhi, and much of North India is facing an acute air quality crisis. In such situations, a policy like odd-even scheme is bound to have a limited impact, even when implemented well. When you consider the exemptions to certain vehicle types or users, the overall effect is muted further. An odd-even scheme can reduce the peak of air pollution concentrations during some of the worst days in terms of air quality. It is a short-term measure aimed at giving a short-term relief from hazardous levels of pollution. However, odd-even is neither going to fix Delhi’s acute air quality problems nor going to eliminate air pollution on days when it is implemented.

Is a better transport infrastructure the solution to vehicular emissions in Delhi?

Too often we think that better infrastructure means more roads, and flyovers, or at best additional metro lines. Urgent investments in non-motorised transport (NMT) and bus infrastructures are needed. We often neglect to invest appropriately in NMT infrastructure, even though several mode share studies show that a third of the journeys in Delhi are done by walking and cycling. Investments in public and private charging infrastructure will be needed if we are to shift a meaningful number of new vehicles to run on electricity. Greater investments in information infrastructure solutions – the so called intelligent transport system are needed as well.

There is talk of five-year term plan for air quality control. What does one do in the meantime?

First, ensure than BS VI standards are implemented effectively. The Supreme Court has asked the Delhi Government to take up vehicle remote sensing to monitor in-use vehicle emissions. Second, remote sensing can be used to not only screen for gross emitters, but also to check if the newer vehicles are performing as well on the road as the manufacturers claimed they will in the laboratory. Three, Delhi needs to finalise its electric vehicle policy quickly and ensure that the oil marketing companies are effectively deploying evaporative emission controls at the refueling stations. Finally, the city needs to consider implementation of a low emission zone and or a vehicle registration cap with a preference for registering electric vehicles in both private and commercial vehicles.

How does one convince a person who is driving to his office daily, to take a public transport?

To tilt the playing field in favour of public transport, we first need to dramatically improve the service quality, reliability and comfort of our bus systems. This means prioritising public investments in favour of transit over road space for cars. Personal vehicles need to be made to pay for their impact on congestion (through congestion pricing and parking fees), as well as pollution (through emission charges and or restrictions on usage).

Is it just the Government or the people also who has to do their bit?

There are of course behavioural changes and choices that all of us can do as individuals to reduce our own carbon footprint when it comes to transport. For example, most well off urban Indians rarely think about the disproportionate carbon footprint of domestic and international flying. However, I would like to stress that the most important choice we can all make is to hold our local, State and national Governments accountable for making decisions that will equitably reduce the carbon footprint from our daily lives. There is no substitute for policy actions.  

Delhi is most affected. Why?

Delhi is certainly in the news more often but air quality situation is terrible across much of North India and other cities across the country. As air quality monitoring network is expanding. Data suggests that Delhi’s air quality problems are neither unique nor isolated. Actions to reduce air pollution need to happen at regional airshed level, and cannot only be isolated at city level.