Pandemics have not been uncommon in the vast stretch of human history. Every time a pandemic hits the world, a different aspect of city life is modified to better protect and avoid the chances of recurrence of the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic is quite unique in the sense that it is likely to affect almost all aspects of urbanisation in one way or the other. Which aspects will be affected the most? How will they be modified to suit the ‘new normal’ in the post-COVID period?
The unprecedented onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world forced a majority of countries to go into a state of complete lockdown. Along with this, the pandemic also brought with itself a string of practices that must be followed in order to stay safe from the disease spread. Social distancing, personal hygiene, sanitation, sewage management, and disinfection of surroundings are some of the most popular practices around the world that have come in the limelight mainly due to COVID-19.
However, experts predict that the pandemic has brought with itself a sense of awareness amongst governments and policy makers of the need to reorient civic amenities – their organisation, implementation, distribution and effectiveness. To know more about the possible changes that might take place, in the form of opportunities or challenges, Urban Update contacted various professionals who are experts in their areas of work.
Transport and Open Spaces
The transport sector has undergone massive changes in the recent past. With the introduction of eco-friendly motorised vehicles in the public transport sector and innovative and faster methods of travelling, the world was moving fast towards sustainable mass transit systems. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation was brought to a grinding halt across the world. Now, with the world gearing up to mould itself into the newnormal, a number of experts are predicting massive changes in the most basic characteristics of urban transportation. In order to get a more detailed sense of what is about to change in the time to come, Urban Update contacted DrSewa Ram, Professor, Transport Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi.
Dr Ram, while noting the opportunity presented to policy makers to reinvent public and private transportation, said that the pandemic has instilled a sense of awareness in the general public as well. Following the new social norms such as social distancing, people will now prefer to avoid travelling by mass transit systems. Thus, a pronounced shift towards private modes of transport is predicted. Among those who are unable to afford private transport, cycling and walking are likely to gain more prominence. Moreover, people with resources are now more likely to travel even short distances using vehicles, instead of walking, thereby minimizing contact. These behavioral shifts will result in consequent challenges for the transport sector and create a problem for open spaces in cities.
- The shift towards private transport to minimize human contact will result in increased congestion on roads, especially during office hours.
- It will also mean that the load on pedestrian walkways will increase simultaneously.
- More vehicles will translate into higher levels of air and noise pollution.
- A higher use of private vehicles for shorter commutes will also mean a heavier load on parking spaces in commercial, business complexes, among other open spaces.
“It is high time for the government at the centre and state to revisit transport norms and policies in the country. We have the opportunity to reinvent travel for the public and we can only handle the crisis in the transport sector by utilizing this opportunity to the maximum extent,” said Dr Sewa Ram. He suggested the following measures:
- One of the most important issues is to reduce congestion. Dr Ram suggested that businesses and offices must follow ‘workplace staggering’ of office timings and activities. Nearby establishments can coordinate and set different office timings for its employees. This will ensure that roads leading to a particular area are not overcrowded as the incoming traffic will be distributed throughout the day. Offices can also consider working in shifts.
- Civic authorities need to realize the urgency of modifying pedestrian spaces in India. They are already falling short of fulfilling pedestrian demands. With an increased load of people opting to walk or cycle to their destinations, civic authorities will have to increase their accessibility and expand their capacity to cater to the increased needs of the public.
- Governments, in order to make public travel safe for people and counteract the shift towards private transport, have set an occupancy limit in both buses and metros. However, this will mean that the overall capacity of the public transport systems will decrease .Therefore, government must work on increasing frequency of metros and buses so that people who are willing to travel by public transport are not forced to move away.
- Parking spaces in various public places will also be overburdened due to the increased use of vehicles for shorter journeys. Thus, it is the need of the hour for the government to come up with smart parking solutions to accommodate their increased demand.
- Dr Ram also suggested the integration of AarogyaSetu mobile application with travel. At metro stations, the government must allow entry only for those who are at a low risk of infection according to the AarogyaSetu app. Moreover, metro services must become contactless by decreasing the number of ticketing and grievance counters and increasing online ticketing services.
Environment Planning
While discussing similar changes in pollution and environment policy trends with Ms Prarthana Borah, India Director, Clean Air Asia, we came across multiple opportunities and challenges that the government is likely to face in the near future. While the load on roads and streets is predicted to increase manifold, if acted upon timely, this trend can be pushed towards use of cleaner fuels. In doing so, the authorities will not only have a chance to maintain the low levels of pollution in the city but to also promote use of
public transport.
A similar approach must be adopted for industries and factories, companies and businesses across the country. The new ‘work-from-home’ culture, which is quickly gaining prominence, has shown the stakeholders that a number of economic activities can be carried out without having to spend millions on upkeep of infrastructure by simply allowing employees to work from home.
This will not only decrease their expenditure but will also reduce the number of daily commuters.
A number of factories and industries have been temporarily shut since the beginning of the nationwide lockdown.
Now that these production units are preparing to resume operations, if given appropriate incentives and the right push, they can be encouraged to switch to renewable sources of energy for operations and to introduce measures for treating any environmentally harmful byproducts. If implemented successfully, this will not only decrease air pollution and decrease misuse and waste of non-renewable sources of energy but will also help in stopping global warming.
Even though the pandemic has posed a serious threat to humanity and authorities and governments across the world are struggling to keep people safe, it must also be seen as an opportunity for change and betterment.
However, these decisions and policy changes must be drafted meticulously and executed promptly.