Those crazy, smoking cars

As Bengaluru’s vehicular population soars above the 66-lakh mark choking everyone on the streets and beyond, the pollution graph soars in tandem. There is absolutely no sign that this reckless trend will be arrested any time soon.

First, the facts: Vehicular emissions make up 43% of the pollutants in Bengaluru. If this isn’t serious enough to make everyone scramble to find ways to curb those numbers, here’s a chilling statistic: Sixty-six lakh registered vehicles now flood every inch of space of the city roads. Add the floating population of outside state vehicles and the picture gets murkier.

State Transport Department data, updated till September 30, had put the vehicle numbers at 65.3 lakh. This has swelled beyond 66 lakh over the last month. Non-transport vehicles accounted for 58.95 lakh, with two-wheelers making up a substantial 45.22 lakh. Private car numbers came next at 12.63 lakh.

Taxis, including maxicabs accounted for 1.23 lakh. In the first quarter of 2012, that number stood at only 46,235. Intense competition among Olacabs, Uber and other aggregators has spurred this dramatic rise in taxi numbers with polluting diesel cars dominating the fleets. Ironically, app-based taxi services were widely expected to replace private cars and thus reduce pollution.

Is there a way out? Diesel is the problem, say Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) officials. A study of 2,000 petrol vehicles had shown that only 16% exceeded the permissible limits. But in diesel vehicles, that proportion was nearly 40%. Levels of Carbon Monoxide and hydrocarbons were way too high.

Indeed, the high vehicular population has spurred an unprecedented rise in traffic congestion. Studies by KSPCB have shown that pollution levels are highest at major road intersections and transport hubs such as Majestic and Central Silk Board junction.

Suspended dust

Moving vehicles keep the dust always suspended in air, adding another dimension to the pollution problem. Preferring anonymity, a government scientist researching automobile emissions explains, “A motorcycle, for instance, is made of at least 22 metals. Due to the friction and movement, the fine particles coming out as exhaust alters the chemical composition of the dust.”

Pedestrians, roadside vendors and unprotected motorcyclists are the first victims of this low-level pollution. Rising vehicle numbers have meant there is no letup from this suspended dust, even during night.

Traffic congestion that considerably slows down vehicle speeds spark another issue: At low speeds in the range of 12-15kmph, vehicles spew out more exhaust.

So, when a vehicle covers only six kilometres in 45 minutes, it effectively pollutes the entire stretch. Add lakhs of vehicles moving at the same pace during peak traffic hours, and you get the big, dirty picture.

Is there a way out of this downward spiral? Solutions such as congestion tax, curbing vehicle registrations and odd-even rule have been talked about for long. But these have not moved beyond boardroom debates.

Define modal-share target

There is no getting away from a cap on vehicular count, contends seasoned campaigner for sustainable transport, Sathya Sankaran. But to do that, a target needs to be first defined based on the modal share. He explains, “You need to know how many people take how many trips by bus, car, autorickshaw, cycle…”

A trip-based, vehicle ownership-based modal share target will have to be worked out based on clear numbers. This data, he says, should be continuously updated. Only then can workable solutions emerge.

The data could also help make sense of growing taxi numbers. “Once the numbers are available, you can gauge how many are switching from their personal cars to taxis. Shared mode is better than non-shared mode. But without tracking numbers, you won’t know.”

Despite rising congestion and pollution, thousands of cars, two-wheelers and SUVs continue to be added to the city roads every day. Obviously, this means the automobile industry is happy. The state, with soaring tax revenues, has no reason to complain either.

Is the government ready for a cut in this revenue for the greater good of Bengaluru? Now, that is a question that cries for an answer from Bengalureans themselves. A car or a SUV is still a status symbol. Everyone, as a KSPCB official put, knows that buying a vehicle is his/her fundamental right.

Sikkim model

The Sikkim government has shown a possible way out. Its one-house, one-vehicle rule prohibits anyone from owning a second vehicle provided there is proof of parking space. The tax structure for the second vehicle is higher.

But this would require a major policy change. More drastic changes cannot be enforced without amending the Motor Vehicles Act, a central legislation.

Environmentalists, KSPCB and other green stake-holders want the government to at least implement its ban on vehicles more than 15 years old. Sadly for Bengaluru, an estimated six lakh vehicles older than the specified limit are still plying, emitting toxic fumes.