Cars must be banned during peak hours: Enrique Penalosa

Feted as the man behind the only successful model of the BRT corridor in Bogota, Colombia, Enrique Penalosa is a man with a vision, not just plans. He's also scathing about the lopsided transport policies which, he claims, have been hijacked by the rich. And Delhi's experiment with the BRT? The former mayor of Bogota called it a 'joke' in an interview with Rumu Banerjee.

You speak of urban transport planning that changes quality of life. What does that mean?

We have had cities built for pedestrians for 5,000 years. It's only now we have cities built for cars. A city with hundreds of kilometres of protected bicycle paths, non-motorized promenades, greenways, parks and public spaces change the way that a city lives.

How do you solve the transport problem?
Traffic and mobility are different things. Making bigger roads will not solve traffic. That's because what creates traffic is not the number of cars but the number of trips. You solve mobility with public transport, subways etc. But you can't solve traffic with it. This can only be done through restrictions on car use.

What kind of restrictions?

I'm talking about car-use restrictions--not car-ownership restrictions.The simplest solution is parking restrictions--for instance, in London, the central business district cannot have parking. The Shard, which is the tallest tower in Europe, has only 43 parking spots, which are for the handicapped. In total though, 10,000 people work in that tower. Also, restrictions on parking shouldn't be at home but at the destination. At least half of trips are less than 15km--even in Delhi.Instead of highways, make avenues.Avenues are road space but with bus lanes, pavements, bicycle tracks etc.Put in congestion tax during peak hours. Even better, ban use of cars during peak hours.

Ban the use of cars?

Yes, ban cars. More people will benefit. So we should ban cars during peak hours, you will get to work faster, there will be less pollution. Road space is the most valuable asset Delhi has; how to divide the space among pedestrians, cars, bicycles, buses etc is crucial. Remember, a child on the road has as much right to road space as a rich person.

What about Delhi Metro?

I don't think subways (Metro) solve anything. Every developing city has a subway system. But it doesn't provide the flexibility of a bus system.Be clear: public transport users are social heroes. Why put them underground like rats? In my view, a BRT system is even better than a subway.

What's wrong with Delhi BRT?

There are a number of problems. It's not been implemented properly; it's not a prepaid system like the Metro; the location of bus stops is at fault. A well planned BRT is exactly like a subway--you get inside the system by paying before you get on the train. In Bogota, BRT is more efficient than the subway in Delhi. The subway here covers 193km and carries 2.5 million people. BRT in Bogota is 115km and carries 2.3 million people every day . What kind of transport system should we have in Delhi? There should be a network of roads across the city, with the buses perhaps going underground at intersections-it could be a chance for India to show the world how to build cities. Bus routes are important but when a bus is stuck in a jam, it's a waste. Put the bus in a BRT. Don't allow any vehicle inside the BRT lane--not even police cars or the vehicles of politicians.Even ambulances should need to get permission to come inside the bus lane in a BRT. Have express buses and local buses running in a schedule to provide flexibility and frequency. How about last-mile connectivity? Smaller vehicles like rickshaws, e rickshaws are very important for lastmile connectivity. Also, have taxis, rental cars--it's very important.

You talk about the potential for India.What does that mean?

India is missing a historic opportunity to make cities which are different. It's the only important country in the world where only 30% cities are urban. So majority of the cities are yet to be built. They can be built to have sidewalks, pavement, bus lanes, greenways. Economic development doesn't get great cities--good cities get economic development. But here too, infrastructure like flyovers and highways is being provided. Making urban highways is a mistake. It's like a poisonous river around the city. Flyovers are a disaster. In India, there's a caricature called the pedestrian subway . This should never be done. There is 40,000km of roads in Delhi--it's one-fourth the distance around the Earth.

So public transport is the key?

A bus with 100 passengers should have equal, if not more, road space than cars. It's the most efficient way to use road space; by having exclusive space for buses.