Page 46 - Traffic Infra Tech

COVER STORY PLUSORY PLUS
COVER ST

‘Significant effort is being made

to enhance Public Transport’

Yudhvir Singh Malik,

Secretary, Ministry of

Transport & Highways, was the
Chief Guest at TrafficInfraTech
and ParkingInfraTech Expos

in Hyderabad in September.

Excerpts from his Chief
Guest’s Address.

o the limited extent that I of hours, tries to get a ticket, boards a rickshaw, or a local intra-city bus? That
understand smartness, I want to bus, travels about 100kms, and goes is one set of people which constitutes
Ttake you all to three scenarios. to a station from where he has to take 25% to 30% of the population of
Scenario One: A farmer in a village, a train. He is not sure whether he will this country.
who is not IT savvy and uses a feature be able to get a ticket in the train or Scenario Two: The second guy
phone only to receive calls and not, he is not sure which platform he stays in the city. He goes to the city
messages, has to travel to a distant has to go to, or what time the train bus station -- probably his child drops
place about 1000kms away. He takes will start. And that’s how with all him on a two-wheeler. He is a level
off from his village and goes to nearest these challenges he still completes higher than the first guy. As he is
city. Now, what does he use for taking his journey from the origin to the dropped at the station, he can get a
off from his village to the nearest city? destination. He reaches the destination ticket and has an option of travelling
To what extent is he sure of getting point through the rail. From there he by bus or rail. From there again, he
a transport from the nearest city to has to go to X place, which probably has the option of travelling another
the first destination where he has to we all have started terming as the last 1000kms by air or train and at each of
travel by road by a public transport -- a mile connectivity. How does he go these joining points, he goes on with
bus? He probably waits for a couple there? Does he walk? Does he take a those uncertainties.

46 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER ’17 / TrafficInfraTech www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com