Efficient use of low emission paratransit in the city area : a case of Nagpur

Abstract

The study deal with the transport related issue in a particular area with an environmental impact on the people. In today’s era, with rapid growing economies and population in the cities, there is increasing trend in the expansion of mobilization in the city. With this, there has been significant increase in pollution of an area through transport system. The areas which are dense and have residential colonies need to face various problems. Sustainable transport modes are now-adays considered to be a replacement to conventional public transport systems. The transport system which has various categories of different usage of vehicles, has been taken into consideration before carrying out the study. Paratransit mode is considered as the one of the probable mode through which the mobilization is carried out, as we understand the use of our own personal vehicles sometimes is not better. For a particular distance we often use paratransit as a preferred mode, also as a feeder service system for one. Paratransit has gone through enormous changes over time, the newly developed mode is ‘e-rickshaw’ which is electrically powered and produce very low emission as compare to conventional mode ‘Auto rickshaw’. Both are having similar function and considered as close segment. The study is carried to find out the difference between pollution caused by both mode and the preferred mode for transport, to a short distance in the study area. The city selected is Nagpur, as there are erickshaw services started newly and has increasing no. of it further. The core city area has been selected as a study area because there is more problem of pollution faced by the people due to major transit hubs located and all mobilization takes place to that area. To cater this problem, can there be alternate mode which replaces a particular segment to help in reducing the pollution from that core area of Nagpur. The newly started service of e –rickshaw seem as a better option and has capacity to replace its earlier form, i:e auto rickshaw. With this the planning for the efficient use of e –rickshaw should provide the prior need. To study this we at first carried out the information study to actual replacement of auto form the study area. For this I selected three objectives which takes the whole study into parts, in part one that means in objective one is studied the generalcharacteristics of both mode e-rickshaw and auto rickshaw. The socioeconomic characteristics of both mode users and operators to understand the difference between the working of both mode and the information about how the people are using both mode for different purposes. The travel pattern and the expenses spend by the users are also studied for preference given for a particular mode and to study the reason behind it. Stated preference survey is conducted of commuters which are travelling form both mode in our study are from different for transit location. The study showed that, for a limited distance the people are preferring the service of erickshaw which also charges less amount and the service has been similar to auto rickshaw but same at higher rate, as they have fixed charges according to stretch. The respondent of the stated preference survey has preferred the e-rickshaw and showed willingness to shift to e-rickshaw. The major share of these respondent were people who use this service for short distances. As there have been the shift, so the question arises why this shift happens. So the data is drawn as per ranking has given by the respondents to the factors which are of service characteristics time, cost, comfort, convenience and safety. The whole data is analysed in SPSS software through rank correlation coefficient for repeated ranking, as there has given same ranks for the each factor. This is my second objective is which I have to find out the most influencing factor that stated mode choice. In this the time and cost play the important role in selecting the mode for transport which is inversely proportional to each other, backed by the cost and comfort which is directly proportional to each other. This term has done the part that has the impact which is more influencing and can have the better rides if we counteract with this. As we understood that if we try to bring down the cost of travel then the time will be need more and if we try to minimize the time, then the cost will be more for each and every time of travel. They both have the certain characteristics to relatively connect with each other. As the services are of bothmode is similar but they differ in two term first one is power capacity, the power capacity of auto is more as compare to e- rickshaw. But there is plying of these both mode in a core area, the transport department has fixed the limit of acceleration to 30-35 km/hr. so this fixed capacity will not interfere in the study.The second term is pollution, so e- rickshaw has been doing less pollution as compare to auto and considered as sustainable mode because of amount of pollution produced is very less. Therefore the time and cost which is playing significant role has also considered in the health benefits cost which are considered in direct cost and in indirect cost. As per the study, in direct cost will be more to the people who use services of transport which produces the pollution with time involved in it, than the people who use sustainable mode. So this can be helpful in maintain the time and cost relativity in its aspects. Now the third objective is to study the externalities to complete switch over to e-rickshaw. Now this should be catered by complete shifting over to e-rickshaw and to reducing the pollution to the normal for resolving the term efficient use. As we are studying the issue in the core city area of Nagpur. There should be filled the replacement of autos by e-rickshaw and to use their services mandatory over there this should bring down the pollution level to greater extent, with that decision if we restrict the use of private vehicles into our study area will be removing the future risk of pollution into our study area. The pass system will be provided to those who live in that area followed by the e – rickshaw stands at each entrance in the study area. Which will act as holding capacity. For those who need to enter in that area should pay entrance tax, this is just for emergency and to generate revenue for the operation. This whole study will provide the sustainable environment to the people in that area and to ply with the sustainable mode at cheaper prices with neglecting the health issue and external cost.