Gurgaon fails to deliver on car free day: Organisers say it will take time for message to sink in

[caption id=“attachment_2443008” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Naresh Sharma/ Firstpost[/caption] The millennium city, that moves only on its own wheels, didn’t quite warm up to the ‘Car-free Day’ call given on Tuesday, 22 September. The first-of-its kind initiative was launched in Gurgaon jointly by the traffic police, NGO Embark, Rahagiri and citizens’ forum – to observe the ‘Car-free Day’ every Tuesday in order to reduce pollution and traffic congestion. However, the movement of cars was in full swing across the city, especially in the dedicated zone where the experiment was launched – Gurgaon’s Cyber City. The initiative failed to reduce the number of cars; it was just like any other day in Gurgaon with bumper-to-bumper traffic in its main thoroughfares. The only noticeable difference was probably the parking, which was neatly arranged. Another sigh of relief was the part played by the traffic police. Cops held vigil throughout the day at every nook and corner of the dedicated zone, ensuring no car was parked illegally. Bharti Arora, joint commissioner, Traffic Police (Gurgaon) said, “Today is the first day of the initiative and it would take some time for us to motivate the citizens to park cars at parking zones and simultaneously not to use cars for commutation on Tuesdays. We’re ensuring that people shouldn’t illegally park cars by the roadside to avoid traffic congestion. This is the top priority.” [caption id=“attachment_2442652” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The usual traffic at Millennium City in Gurgaon. Image courtesy: Naresh Sharma/Firstpost[/caption] The millennium city has been facing problems related to pollution and traffic congestion for a long time now. The corporate houses at Cyber City have been complaining about the mess to the City administration. But the noble initiative had a few takers at present due to its inherent disadvantages. The lack of proper public transportation, widespread distances and connectivity made it virtually impossible for the citizens to accept it whole-heartedly. The initiative has been launched in an area of 4-5 kilometres around the Rapid Metro and Cyber City. The aim is to keep the area de-congested and ensure smooth running of traffic. The traffic police deployed a large number of tow away vehicles or recovery vehicles at every nook and corner of the dedicated zone. “Since morning we’ve picked up more than 30 cars parked illegally in the Cyber City area. Nearly 25 toy-away vehicles have been deployed today for the job. We want to give the message to the citizens that they should follow parking rules or else it causes severe traffic congestion on a daily basis. If people reduce use of cars on Tuesdays, it’ll help in reducing pollution as well,” said Sunder Lal Tonger, the traffic cop on-duty at Cyber City. [caption id=“attachment_2443012” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Naresh Sharma/ Firstpost[/caption] The organizers of the initiative are however quite upbeat and optimistic. “It’s purely a voluntary movement and it’s expected from the citizens not to use their vehicles on Tuesdays. Many of us are using bicycles. The aim of the initiative is to cut-down the pollution level and clear traffic congestion, which is bothering the millennium city. Even, if we’re successful in initiating this change even for a day in a week, it’ll have a far-reaching impact,” said Radhakrishnan TA Aiyyer, a political activist and a member of the citizen forum. According to organizers of ‘Car-free Day’, the corporate firms would provide alternative transport options as most of their employees use cars. “Cyberabad managed to push 10,000 private vehicles off the roads, save 100,000 personal hours on road and 37,500 litres of fuel, and avoid 78 tonnes of carbon-dioxide in just four such days. Similarly, Rapid Metro has decided to increase the frequency of trains to three minutes, which would mean 225 trains and reduce waiting time for commuters. Feeder buses will be provided in more numbers from major metro stations to Huda City centre, IT Hub and other far-off areas,” a volunteer of Embark said. Senior citizen K Anil (74), who lives at Faridabad Road in Gurgaon, had to think, not only once but couple of times, whether to go ahead with his doctor’s appointment or cancel it. Finally, he chose to do the latter, to support the cause. “It’s difficult to get the doctor’s appointment, and it was fixed three weeks ago. But, I cancelled it because today this ‘Car-free Day’ initiative has been launched and as a responsible citizen, I don’t want to break it on the very first day. This initiative is good provided there is a robust public transport system in place, which is not the case in Gurgaon. If I have to take a bus, I’ve to walk more than a kilometer from my place. Moreover, the frequency of a bus is 30-45 minutes and the buses are always over-crowded. It’s extremely difficult for a senior citizen or a patient to board,” said K Anil, a retired government official. [caption id=“attachment_2443030” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Naresh Sharma/ Firstpost[/caption] Renowned contemporary artist Jagannath Panda, who lives in Gurgaon and also has his studio in the city, said, “It sounds like a good idea though I don’t know how it would get implemented. But we should give it a try because it is for a good cause.” Journalist V. Mahua, a resident of Sector 54 said, “The initiative is good to check increasing pollution and traffic congestion. But, as on date it’s not practical, because without using car it’s not possible for me to go on my assignments. Car pool is possible only for those who either go to the same office or take the same route, unlike me. Personal vehicle is the only option left.” But the traffic police think public transport can’t be an excuse. “We’ve ensured 400 buses on the streets of Gurgaon to provide last-mile connectivity to Metro commuters besides auto-rickshaws for commutation,” said Joint Commissioner Arora. While, auto rickshaws charged more on a day like this, there were many on the other hand who were not even aware of the initiative. “No, I don’t think there’s any such rule passed of not driving car today. At least, I’m not aware of it,” said Satvir Singh, a trader, who was found waiting at a traffic signal near MG Road. Many start-ups have come up with shuttle buses to ply commuters from Rapid Metro stations to nearby destinations like offices in and around the Cyber City. “We’ve introduced Apps and online booking, so that commuters can use our service instead of their own vehicles,” said Mohit of Shuttl.