New Delhi: A recent government report has concluded that congestion in urban areas has risen, thanks to the disproportionate increase in road length and vehicular growth. Road length has increased by 3.3% in the past decade, but vehicles have risen by 10%.
The latest Basic Road Statistics Report — prepared by the transport research wing of the highways ministry — says this mismatch “has resulted in the saturation of road capacities on many stretches.” The report cites while 59% of India’s total road length is rural roads, urban roads account for only 9%.
According to the report, the growth of cars, jeeps and taxis in the past decade has surpassed two-wheelers. During 2001-2011, annual car growth was 10.5% against 9.1% of two-wheelers.
Urban experts say the concentration of vehicles in urban areas and particularly cars is one of the major reasons behind traffic jams. “About 80% vehicles ply on urban roads. Besides, more people are buying cars since their prices have seen little increase along with the rise in disposable income and easier auto financing schemes,” said Yash Sachdev, an urban transport expert.
The report put the total road length in India at 47 lakh km (as on March, 2011) against 40 lakh in 2007. Of this, about 54% is paved and much lower as compared to Japan, Korea, the UK and the USA. The ministry’s data claims over 90% of the roads in all categories are “motorable”.
The major push in increase in road length has been due to construction of rural roads. Between 2007 and 2011 the road network increased by 6.74 lakh km and the largest increase was in the length of rural roads at 3.56 lakh km.
Nevertheless, there was substantial increase in the urban road category at 1.11 lakh km, whereas there was incremental rise in NHs, state highways and project roads at 4,344 km, 11,663 km and 20,034km, respectively.
The report puts country’s expressways/motorways length around 227 km.
The latest Basic Road Statistics Report — prepared by the transport research wing of the highways ministry — says this mismatch “has resulted in the saturation of road capacities on many stretches.” The report cites while 59% of India’s total road length is rural roads, urban roads account for only 9%.
According to the report, the growth of cars, jeeps and taxis in the past decade has surpassed two-wheelers. During 2001-2011, annual car growth was 10.5% against 9.1% of two-wheelers.
Urban experts say the concentration of vehicles in urban areas and particularly cars is one of the major reasons behind traffic jams. “About 80% vehicles ply on urban roads. Besides, more people are buying cars since their prices have seen little increase along with the rise in disposable income and easier auto financing schemes,” said Yash Sachdev, an urban transport expert.
The report put the total road length in India at 47 lakh km (as on March, 2011) against 40 lakh in 2007. Of this, about 54% is paved and much lower as compared to Japan, Korea, the UK and the USA. The ministry’s data claims over 90% of the roads in all categories are “motorable”.
The major push in increase in road length has been due to construction of rural roads. Between 2007 and 2011 the road network increased by 6.74 lakh km and the largest increase was in the length of rural roads at 3.56 lakh km.
Nevertheless, there was substantial increase in the urban road category at 1.11 lakh km, whereas there was incremental rise in NHs, state highways and project roads at 4,344 km, 11,663 km and 20,034km, respectively.
The report puts country’s expressways/motorways length around 227 km.
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