Everyday in my commute I see at least one metro train with good ridership. But I wonder whether there has been any energy saving. I don't know for sure, but I supect that people who used to commute by bus are now taking the metro. Sure, you get a comfortable ride, and pollution is less (rather pollution has a point source - the power plant) but energy consumption should be, if anything, be higher. I don't see many cars being taken off the roads. The energy bill with or w/o metro just cannot be much different.
In Delhi, people just don't want to leave the driving to anyone but her driver! Why then the metro at all? Is there hope for a shift from car culture to metro culture? No way, it is just too ingrained in the short span of about 20 years! Delhites have perhaps outdone Californians!
I would like some road traffic numbers along the metro corridors.
Raghuram Ekambaram
2 comments:
Makes a lot of sense!
I Guess the shift will not be by choice but necessity. In a few years time when there shall be more traffic on the road (as the development of India is based in and around big cities), I guess people will be forced to take metro. Look at the shape of Delhi roads with one day of downpour! It took me 3 hrs to drive back home to Pitampura from Gurgaon which normally takes about an hour.
Given a choice I would prefer Metro anyday.
Saurabh
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