International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.

6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

Doi:10.5958/2249-6270.2016.00042.8

10. GROWTH AND COMPOSITION OF ROAD TRANSPORTATION IN CHENNAI CITY

Lunghar jajo
Ph. D Scholar, Dept. of Economics
Presidency College, Chennai-05 INDIA

A. Introduction
India no more lives in villages because the rate of growth of urbanization has been rapid and the
proportion of urban population has grown from 10 percent in 1901 to more than 30 percent in 2011. The
disturbing aspect of urbanization in India is the skewed distribution of its urban population. Nearly 70
percent of the urban population is located in Class-I cities and 38 percent is in 35 metropolitan cities. The
heavy concentration of population in a few cities has resulted in rapid increase in the density of urban
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population as well as expansion in the urban area. Rapid growth of cities and its population along with poor
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urban transport planning resulted in congestion, accidents and increasing levels of automobile emissions.
These incidences characterise the deteriorating environment in most of the cities. The ambient air quality
has perceivably deteriorated warranting the need for taking urgent policy measures to control traffic
congestion. The city of Chennai being ranked as the fourth largest metropolitan city in India with a
population of 4,681,087 (Census 2011) is one of the class-I cities with poor ambient air quality. The present
chapter discusses urban growth and the subsequent problem of traffic congestion, accidents and the
pollution levels in the city of Chennai.
In recent years, planning has made a trade-off between to stabilising greenhouse gas emissions and
the increased need for energy from fossil fuels. One of the key greenhouse gases to control has been carbon-
dioxide, in order to reduce CO2 emissions from the transportation sector, policy makers recommend for
more efficient vehicles and the use of clean fuels. It is planned that in 2030, most of the vehicles will be run
by electric power.

B. Genesis and Composition of Road Network in Chennai City

Chennai is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu located on the south eastern Coast of Indian
Peninsula. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is vested with the responsibility of
regulating and planning the developmental activities of the city. In 2011, the jurisdiction of the Chennai
Corporation expanded from 174 km2 to 426 km2. At present, the Chennai Corporation Area is divided into

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

North, South and Central regions which covers 200 wards. According to the provisional population results
of 2011, the city had a density of 26,903 per km² and the urban agglomeration had a population of
8,653,521. The city registered a decadal population growth rate of 7.77 percent between 2001and 2011. In
2001, the population density of the city was 24,682 per km² while the population density of the metropolitan
area was 5,922 per km² making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The transport
profile of Chennai City is shown in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1: Transport profile of Chennai City

Population in Chennai 46,81,087
Area 426 sq km
Population density 26,903/sq km
Road length 5629.5 km
Total vehicles 34,22,647
Vehicle per person 0.73
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Source:chennaicityconnect.com/knowledgebase/.../Parking-Report-Chennai.pdf
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Chennai City has now emerged as one of the most important job seeking cities attracting migrants
from all over India. The area and population of the city recorded rapid growth after Independence.
However, the road transport infrastructure has not grown in accordance with the growth of population and
area. Consequently, the city road network has been experiencing severe congestion with heavy volume of
traffic. The city network also faces the problems of poor riding quality, inadequate pedestrian facilities, and
poor traffic control and regulatory measures.

1. Significance of Sustainable Urban Transport

i. Efficient and reliable urban transport systems are crucial to sustain a high growth rate and alleviate
poverty. Services and manufacturing industries concentrate in Chennai City, and therefore efficient and
reliable urban transport systems are essential for the fast movement of people and products connected to
the logistics chain. Services and manufacturing sectors is currently put more pressure on already
saturated urban transport systems. Chennai City has attracted significant investments in high-
technology industries in the last two decades however; urban infrastructure and transport systems have
been grossly insufficient to keep up with the increased demand.
ii. Developing a degree of flexibility in public transport supply so that differentiated services may be
tailored to the needs of different groups of the population.

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iii. The levels of airborne suspended particulate matter (SPM) recorded far exceeded the ambient air
quality standards adopted by India. Chennai is regarded as one of the most polluted cities of India.
Polluted environment will increase health problems reducing factor productivity and increasing
household cost of illness.

2. Hierarchy of Roads in Chennai City

The growing travel demand for Chennai City necessitates the need to increase the supply of road
space. The I Master Plan for Chennai City ensured enhancement of road space by linking missing roads,
widening of existing roads, removal of bottlenecks in the road network, construction of subways and
overhead bridges, development of mini flyovers, etc. The II Master Plan not only consolidated the
incomplete road and transport supply to cope with the increasing travel desires in the Chennai Metropolitan
Area (CMA) but also established a hierarchy of roads in the CMA. The hierarchy of roads in the CMA
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would comprise (a) arterial roads, (b) sub-arterial roads, (c) collector roads and (d) feeder roads/streets. The
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hierarchy of roads is able to give access either an arterial road or sub-arterial road in the space of 2.5 km or
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10 minutes travel by any of the private travel modes. This ensures equity of mobility and accessibility
across the entire CMA. This would translate the entire road network into the grids of arterial/ sub-arterial
roads, 5 km across collector roads within grids providing access to the arterial/ sub-arterial network. The
arterial roads will have rights-of- way (RoW) of 45m to 61m, the sub-arterial roads will have RoW of
30.5m and the collector roads will have RoW of 18m. The details of carriage type in CMA are furnished in
Table 1.2.

Table 1.2. Carriage type in CMA

Carriage Type Percentage Kms.
Two lanes undivided carriage way 63 758
Four lanes divided 20 426
Six lane roads (divided) 5 64
Four lane divided 6 69
Single lane 6 69
Source: Wilbur Smith Association, Comprehensive Transportation Study for CMA, 2008
3. Road Network
The rapid growth of population in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) has been causing a stress
on the existing road infrastructure. Length of different types of roads in Chennai City is shown in Table 1.3.

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Table 1.3. Road lengths in Chennai City

Type of Roads Road Length
( in Km.)
Total Length of Bus Route Roads maintained by Corporation of Chennai 387.35
Total Length of Interior Roads maintained by Corporation of Chennai 2244
Total length of Roads Maintained by Highways 150
Total Length of cement concrete Roads in Bus Route Roads 222
Total Length of cement concrete Roads in Interior Roads 1292.54
Source: Corporation of Chennai: 2011

The major arterial and sub-arterial road corridors and other roads are developed and maintained by
Highways Department and the local bodies respectively. The roads within the local body areas are improved
and maintained by the Directorate of Municipal Administration. Some of the studies conducted by Madras
Area Transport Study (MATS - 1968), Integrated Transport Plan (1977), Madras Route Rationalisation
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Study (1986), Traffic and Transportation study for MMA (1986), Comprehensive Traffic and
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Transportation Study (CTTS 1992-95) described development of road transportation on CMA. Based on the
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recommendations of these studies several major projects such as formation of Inner Ring Road, addition of
buses, improvements to Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) infrastructure, Mass Rapid Transit
system (MRTS) etc. have been taken up. But these efforts have not kept pace with the increase in the travel
demand of Chennai City. The road network reflects the development of a city along national roads and
railways. Major roads of Chennai City exhibit width variations and rarely protected from adjacent land uses.
Recently functional specialization and road design standards, suitable for urban traffic stream were
introduced with a variety of vehicle types.

4. Mode of Transportation in Chennai City

a) Rail Transportation
The commuter rail system in CMA is operated by the Indian Railways and runs essentially on four lines:
i. Chennai Beach - Tambaram, running southwest
ii. Chennai Central – Thiruvallur, running west
iii. Chennai Central – Gummidipoondi, running north
iv. Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) operates between Chennai Beach and Velachery having a
length of about 20 km.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

These rail lines are constrained by the presence of a number of road-rail level crossings, and
overcrowding during peak hours. In 2003, CMDA evolved a transport strategy under urban planning to
decongest Chennai City by directing urban development along its main transport corridors and moving
certain traffic intensive activities away from the central business district. A more flexible zoning regulation
is aimed to bring residences, jobs and educational institutions closer. The strategy expresses a preference
for: (i) moving people rather than vehicles with a 70 percent public transport modal share as a target; and
(ii) maximizing the use of the present transport infrastructure. Some of the concrete steps suggested to
achieve the objectives include:
i. Strengthening and expansion of urban road-rail network.
ii. The capacity expansion of three major radial roads (Anna Salai, Periyar, and Nehru Salai), using
area traffic control, bus lanes, and elevated highways in their median;
iii. Concretization of city roads.
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iv. Increasing road density in peri-urban areas to match the spatial strategy pursued;
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v. Removal of major bottlenecks in road and rail corridors.

vi. Instead of rail road competition, the role of bus routes as feeders to rail stations.
vii. New public transport options in selected corridors.

b) Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL)

A metro rail system is under construction to meet the future urban transport requirements. Out of
the seven corridors proposed, two corridors have been under construction. Three corridors have been
proposed in the second phase. There are also plans for extending Corridor 1 till Wimco Nagar. With the
growing average trip length, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) surveys have suggested that the
metro will increase the public transport trip share to about 55 percent when the first phase becomes
operational. Considering traffic congestion and fuel wastage, the shift is expected to happen in near future.
The broadest roads in the city receive heavy traffic, is Anna Salai/GST road, EVR Periyar Salai and the
Inner Ring road. Hence metro rail system is planned along these routes and its feeder roads to decongest.
The suburban train stations have connectivity to the arterial roads on which the metro is planned. Table 1.4
lists the stations that run parallel or are in close proximity to the planned metro stations.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

Table 1.4. Metro running parallel to suburban train

From To Approximate Distance (km)
Chetpet Fort 4.4
Park Chintadripet 1.2
Saidapet Guindy 3.5
St. Thomas Mount Tirusulam 4.3
Total distance 13.4
Source: Suburban and MRTS network map with the CMRL

The stations cited above have spaced less than 1 Km. between them. The metro system is planned
to create better accessibility to these suburban train stations and integrate the metro route with the suburban
train route so as to complete a larger loop. By running parallel to the suburban route, the ridership of both
the modes gets reduced with cost reduction, improved comfort and commuter‘s choice.
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c) Bus Transport
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The Chennai Public Transport (CPT) has monopoly over the city‘s bus transportation. The number
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of buses currently plying in the city is 3,457.14. The average number of passengers carried by public
transport per day is 5.7 million. The passenger capacity of an MTC bus is 73 (48 sitting and 25 standing),
however, in peak hours, it carries more than 100 passengers; overcrowding is as high as 150 per cent.
Evidently, the supply of buses has been inadequate to meet the demand. There have been instances of
commuters waiting for long time to avail public transportation. It highlights the inefficiency of public
transport to meet the needs of the passengers. Moreover, a periodic revision of routes based on ridership has
not been done by the transport department. A good transportation system requires a thorough route
rationalization based on land use patterns and ridership behaviour. However, this has been one of the
limitations of the public transportation system in Chennai City. Table 1.5 gives details of the public
transport in Chennai City.

Table 1.5. Profile of public transport in Chennai City

Details Amount
Fleet Size 3,457
Depots 25
Trips per day 42,354
Routes 717
Employees 22,919

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

Passengers per day (average) 58.52 lakh

Collection per day (average) 3.81 lakh
Source: Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Transport Department Policy

d) Goods Transport
The number of goods vehicles in Chennai has increased from 6,671 in 1980 to 61255 in 2008. On a
typical day, 78,155 goods vehicles cross the city limits and 35,281 goods vehicles in the CBD boundary
(CCTS, 2008). According to a study by CMDA (1985) the main items of movement are manufactured
goods (15.5 percent), building materials (9.9 percent), industrial raw materials (9.2 percent), perishables
(9.1 percent) and parcels (8.5 percent).The most important places of arrival and dispatch are George Town,
Salt Cotaurs, Chennai Harbour, industrial estates at Guindy and Ambattur and the timber yards near
Chromepet and Tambaram on NH-45 and the petroleum installations at Korukkupet and Manali. At present
the movement of goods vehicles are placed on severe restrictions within in the City. Chennai Metropolitan
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Development Authority (CMDA) had taken steps to shift some of the wholesale markets and create truck
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terminals on the periphery of the city.

5. The Problems of Road Transportation in Chennai City

Some of the major problems of road transportation are:

a. Most of the roads in Chennai City exhibit poor quality of riding surface, inadequate pedestrian
pavement, poor lighting conditions and lack of properly designed intersections. The volume
capacity ratio (V/C ratio) on many of the links during the peak hour is more than one.
b. Establishment of multinational car companies and multinational and big IT companies the vicinity
of the CMA increased the demand for car ownership which increased traffic congestion.
c. The phenomenal growth of vehicles coupled with tardy increase in road space has resulted in travel
speeds as low as 15 kmph in CBD and 20 kmph in other major roads in Chennai City. In addition to
this, there are frequent hold-ups in junctions during the peak-hours.
d. Frequent repair and maintenance of utility system, drainage and sewage system along with
inadequate pavements made inefficient use of the road system.
e. The parking shortage is acute in the CBD area. The demand for parking in CBD is 1.5 to 2 times
the supply and the acute shortage of parking supply.
f. Fast moving vehicular traffic amidst bicycle and pedestrian traffic have reduced the capacity and
safety.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

g. Unplanned and inadequate parking, loading and unloading facilities for Lorries, trucks result in
unsafe movement of vehicles and population.
h. Permanent and temporary encroachment of footpaths and carriageway has reduced the capacity of
roads.
i. Insufficient regulatory measures along with inadequate enforcement of traffic rules and lack of road
sense among the road users have resulted in inefficient use of the transport network system.
j. Bus and rail developing as competing modes rather than being complementary to each other.
k. The sprawling suburban development without adequate transport facilities has placed considerable
demand in favour of private vehicles.
l. The mass transit stations warrant the need for interchange facilities.

C. Extent of Traffic Congestion in Chennai City

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For every urban automobile user, the frustration of traffic is one of the important reasons for
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economic and social loss. From an economic perspective, congestion retards productivity by taking more
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time spent for travelling to work rather than working; missing some of the important meetings, foregoing
interactions among individuals or personal activities due to long travel time; and spending more time to
accomplish tasks than would otherwise be necessary. In short, a region‘s economy will be benefited when
people spend more time for working and taking less time for travel.

1. Vehicle growth and its composition

The vehicle population of Chennai City has been accelerating steadily from 600,000 in 1992, to 1.3
million in 2001 and 3.64 million in 2012. Daily, about 1,500 new vehicles hit the roads, with two-wheelers
constituting more than 75 percent. However, registration of new cars is also on the rise. Chennai vehicles
constitute one-fourth of the 17.5 million vehicles across the state of Tamil Nadu. The state has more two-
wheelers (13 million) than Maharashtra, which has the maximum number of automobiles in the country.
Two-wheelers account for 78 percent of all vehicles in the state, while cars add up to 14 percent. According
to a survey conducted by the city traffic police in 2012, there is one vehicle for every two households in
Chennai City. More than 70 percent of the population in Chennai City use public transport, but less than 40
percent regularly use it. Owing to the high traffic density, the average bus speed in the city as of 2014 is 17-
18 kilometres per hour. Over the next five years it is expected to come down by 12 km per hour, whereas

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the maximum allowable operating speed of the vehicles shall be 80 kmph with a maximum design speed of
90 kmph. Table 1. 6. shows growth of motor vehicles in Chennai City between 1981 and 2013.

Table 1.6. Growth trends of motor vehicles in Chennai City

Year Total registered vehicles
1981 120,000
1986 228,000
1991 544,000
1996 812,000
1998 975,000
2012 3,760,000
2013 3,881,850
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Chennai

Not only have the parking vehicles taking over a problem of the road but also the parking eats considerable
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urban space of vehicular movement.

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Chennai City is clogged with increasing vehicle population which has risen by three times in past
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ten years. The number of vehicles registered in Chennai is around 34 lakhs out of which, over 72 percent are
two wheelers. On an average 1780 vehicles are added on Chennai‘s road every day. The model share of
trips in different cities of India is furnished in Table 1. 7.
Table 1.7. Modal share of trips in different Cities
Name of City Modal Share of trips (%)
Pub. Transport Walk Cycle
Hyderabad 35 22 9
Chennai 31 22 9
Bangalore 35 26 7
Delhi 43 21 12
Kolkata 54 19 11
Mumbai 45 27 6
Source: Study on Traffic & Transportation Policies and Urban Areas in India
( MoUD, GoI , May 2008)

All the radial arterial roads leading to the City are severely congested. Traffic volumes at inner cordon have
averaged 7000 PCU during the peak hour and increased significantly over the decade. Arterial roads leading
to the Central Business District (CBD) carry heavy traffic and are congested. Level of congestion on
arterials and other major roads has increased eight-fold over the period 1984 to 2008. Arterial roads leading
to the CBD carry heavy traffic and are congested. Level of congestion on arterials and other major roads has

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

increased seven-fold for the period 1984 to 2004. The average volume carried by Anna Salai during 2006
was about 1.58 lakh Passenger Car Unit (PCU) as against its capacity of 60,000 PCU per day. The traffic
pertaining to some of the critical intersections and road links within the City and in the outer-CMA are
indicated in Table 1. 8 shows the traffic volume of major roads.

Table 1.8. Traffic Volumes on major intersections

S.No. Name of the Roads / Traffic Volume (in PCU)
Intersections ADT Peak Hour
Intersections
1. Madhya Kailash - 10,246
2. Porur - 13,180
3. Vadapalani 2,07,995 14,233
4. Thirumangalam 1,88,452 26,838
5. Halda - 18,330
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6. Moolakadai - 8,525
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Source: Traffic Census, Sep.2006, Project Feasibility Reports by various consultants, 2005- 2007
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On an average, 1,780 new vehicles are put on roads every day without corresponding increase in
vehicular road space. The increase in road space accounts for only 3 to 4 percent of the total area when
compared to 11 percent in Bangkok and 20-25 percent in developed cities such as London, Paris and New
York; 21percent in New Delhi and 11 percent in Coimbatore. Hence the increase in road space in Chennai
City is one of the very low. Chennai carries the traffic volumes higher than their capacities characterized by
traffic congestion, reduced speeds and associated delays. The operating speeds of the traffic on major road
network of the city are higher than that of the inner areas of the city. The estimated vehicle - kilometre is
around 25 million which is expected to increase to the level of 35 million vehicle kilometres by 2010.
However, the capacity of roads remains almost constant expanded because of physical constraints imposed
by built-up area on either side of the roads. Besides this, roadside encroachments hinder smooth flow of
traffic. The major road network in Chennai City is limited in length; nevertheless it carries as much as 70
percent of the total traffic loads.
2. Mid Block Traffic Counts
The traffic on four road sections in Chennai exceeds even 100 thousand vehicles per day. Two
wheelers and cars contribute to the major share of traffic followed by auto rickshaws. Slow moving vehicles
(SMVs) are common in the northern part of the city. Devices, traffic signs and road markings are not
adequately maintained to retain their legibility and visibility. The concentration of activities in the CBD

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

attracts large volume of avoidable truck traffic into the already congested roads of the City. Purpose wise
average trip length per day in Chennai City is given in Table 1.9.
Table 1.9. Purpose wise average trip length (in Kms)
Purpose of Trips Auto Rickshaw Shared Auto Taxi Maxi Cab
Work 6.79 11.98 13.54 15.68
Business 6.70 13.00 8.89 0.00
Social 7.18 12.12 10.75 0.00
Education 6.33 0.00 0.00 0.00
Others 7.83 13.25 8.96 7.00
Source: Chennai Comprehensive Transportation Study, Wilbur Smith Association 2010

Both bus and rail modes are competing rather than being complementary to each other. Inadequate
public transport facilities have placed considerable demand in favour of private vehicles. Poor drainage
system compounded by frequent cutting of footpaths for attending to utility and service lines repair reduce
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the effective availability of road space, substantially.

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Rapid economic growth and the subsequent increase in the income of the middle income increased
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the per capita trip rate, share of trips performed by motorized two wheelers and cars, trip lengths by various
modes and there has been a sizeable reduction in the percentage share of trips by public transport mode. The
share of different travel modes observed is presented in Table 1.10

Table 1. 10. Trip distributions by travel mode (2008)

Travel Mode City (%) CMA Excluding City (%) CMA (%)
Bus 27 25 26
Train 4 7 5
Car/Taxi 7 5 6
Fast two wheelers 26 24 25
Auto rickshaw 6 2 4
Bicycle 5 7 6
Walk 26 30 28
Total 100 100 100
Source: Chennai Comprehensive Transportation Study, Wilbur Smith Association 2010

Chennai City faces severe problem of congestion due to increase in trip rate, trip lengths and
personalised vehicles. The traffic management in Chennai City is marked by the introduction of a series of
one-way traffic system, which has implications for pedestrian safety and fuel consumption. One-way traffic
is generally desirable when there are complementary roads and the additional travelling distance is not more

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

than 300m as per IRC. The modal preference of commuters in CMA has changed drastically between 1970
and 2005. In 1970 in a group of 100, 42 travel by bus which has declined to 26 in 2005. The use of bi-cycle
also recorded a steep decline from 21 in 1970 to 13 in 2005. The trend with regard to the use of two
wheelers, auto rickshaw and walk increased during this period. It clearly indicates that the dependence of
people towards public transport has reduced while the use of private vehicles has increased over the period.
The declining speed on important road links in Chennai City from 1993 to 2008 is given in Table 1.
11. Provision of orbital roads such as Internal Ring Road (IRR) and Chennai By-pass has, however,
increased the speed on the radial roads. Analysis of speed and delay data reveals that delays are mostly at
intersections.

Table 1. 11. Peak hour journey speed (in Km./hr)

Sl Road Name kmph
NO 1992-1993 2008
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1 Dr.Muthulakshmi Road 39 20
2 Periyar EVR Salai 32 25
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3 Jawaharlal Nehru Road 43 27

4 Sardar Patel Road 49 24
5 DurgabaiDeshmukh Road 9 25
6 Santhome High Road 33 28
7 KamarajSalai 46 34
8 RajajiSalai 29 24
9 Anna Salai 43 28
10 RadhakrishnanSalai 40 26
12 RK Mutt Road 27 17
13 Greenways Road 36 35
14 Gandhi Mandapam Road 45 30
15 Burkit Road 26 14
16 VenkataNarayana Road 25 13
17 GN Chetty Road 31 21
18 MGR Salai 25 15
19 VOC Road 24 21
20 Old Jail Road 9 15
21 Arcot Road 32 20
22 TTK Road 44 22
23 NSC Bose Road 4 9
24 Binny Road 23 19
25 Pantheon Road 10 17

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26 Cathedral Road 25 25
27 Thyagaraya Road 33 20
28 Greams Road 28 13
29 Tiruvottriyur High Road 19 19
30 MannarsamyKoil Street 17 22
31 North Usman Road 32 18
32 Chamiers Road 26 7
33 Dr Nair Road 23 19
34 Mc Nichols Road 34 18
Source: CMDA 2010

3. Transport Deficiencies
Travel by road in Chennai is not safe. Major roads are moderately in good condition, but the city's
infrastructure struggles to keep pace with the rapid growth of vehicles and traffic volume. Secondary roads
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are often in disrepair and prone to flooding. The persistent traffic congestion in Chennai City has been
aggravated by ongoing construction of new metro rail project. There has been a rapid increase in the
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number of vehicles as a result of urbanisation, economic growth and easy availability of finance. Apart from
new vehicles, old vehicles also exist often with outdated technology and non-observance of emission norms.
The quality of fuel supplied has also compounded the problem of vehicular pollution. Delays are mostly
common and the speeds on all roads have reduced over the years due to the growth of vehicular population
and the poor quality of roads. Significant drop in speeds have been witnessed on Sardar Patel Road, Dr.
Muthulakshmi Road (LB Road) and Jawaharlal Nehru Road (IRR) with average journey speeds for roads
with more commercial activity and those that have sparse commercial being 16 kmph and 25 kmph
respectively. Capacity of almost all roads in the present system is reduced due to poor quality of riding
surface, inadequate pedestrian pavement, poor lighting conditions and lack of properly designed
intersections. The volume capacity ratio (V/C ratio) on many of the links during the peak hour is more than
one. Permanent and temporary encroachments of footpaths and carriageways have reduced the capacity of
the road. Pedestrian flows are significant at many critical locations across the city road network. Pedestrians
crossing the roads are heavy in the CBD area. Proportion of slow moving vehicles in the traffic stream is
more at CBD Cordon as compared to Inner Cordon locations. The V/C ratio for a sample of road links in
1993 and 2008 are indicated in the Table 1. 12.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

Table 1. 12. Level of congestion along major roads between 1993 and 2008
Road Capacity of the CCTS(1992-95) CCTS(2008-09)
Road Peak Vol. in V/C Peak Vol. in V/C
PCU PCU
Anna Salai (@ Saidapet ) 2700 3741 1.39 13721 5.08
Periyar EVR Salai 1800 2918 1.62 5653 3.14
(@ Aminjikarai)
Jawaharlal Nehru Salai 2700 2173 0.80 7429 2.75
(@ Ekkatuthangal )
Erukanchery High Road 1500 2799 1.87 3984 2.66
( @ Vyasarpadi )
Mount - Poonamalee Road 1800 708 0.39 5659 3.14 6
(@ MIOT Hospital )
Thiruvottiyur High Road 900 1865 2.07 7498 8.33
(@Washermenpet Rly. Station )
Durgabai Deshmukh Road 1450 3783 2.61 10747 7.41 8
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(@ Thiru. vi. ka bridge)

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Rajaji Salai 1140 2901 2.54 1889 1.66

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(@ Beach Rly.Station)
High Road 600 1426 2.38 5714 9.52
(@ Perambur Rly.Station)
Source: CTTS (MMDA, RITES, KCL & PTCS, 1992-95), CCTS (WSAPL, 2008)

Passenger traffic at Outer Cordon locations has increased over the period and perhaps the
commercial vehicle prohibitions within and the urban sprawl contributes to this trend. Commensurate with
the traffic composition, two wheelers followed by cars parked on streets is the highest with average duration
of parking being just over an hour. Cycles are parked in larger numbers at railway stations and in the
vicinity of bus terminals. Their numbers being constrained for want of space. Commercial vehicles were
observed to be parked on TPP road and Manali Oil Refinery Road.
4. Effect of Traffic Congestion
i. Road Accident in Chennai City: Chennai City has about 69 arterial roads of which 23 have
accounted for 47 percent of the accidents in the city in the last five years. Most accidents occur
near the signals, unmanned junctions and blind curves. Thus it is important to understand various
nuances of road safety, challenges and problem in greater detail before arriving at solutions.
Conflicts between fast moving vehicular traffic and bicycle and pedestrian traffic have reduced
the capacity and safety. Out of 58 accident data reveal that on an average about 620 persons die
on City roads annually.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

Chennai City recorded 18 percent fewer fatalities in road accidents in 2014 as compared to the
previous year but in general, automobile use is not safe on the roads in Chennai. Chennai recorded 1,020
fatal road accidents in 2014, more than any other of the 53 mega cities on the NCRB's list except Delhi. For
commuters, rash driving on motorbikes and by public transport buses is a major cause of concern. The
traffic control system in Chennai is taking efforts to improve traffic signs, road markings and intersection
channelization. Fixed-time traffic signals exist at 115 intersections, without any interconnection. Traffic
safety has been a sore point, with accidents peaking in 2001 at 5,280, of which 708 deaths and 3,800
injuries. The corresponding rates are 40 accidents and 5.3 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles.

Chart 1.1. Road accident in Chennai City

12000

10000

8000
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6000 Total
Accidents
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4000
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Total No. of
2000 persons
involved
0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

ii. Factors Effecting Road Users

Although all types of road user are at risk of being injured or killed, there are notable differences in
fatality rates among different road user groups. The pedestrians and two-wheeler users are at greater risk
than vehicle occupants. Usually they bear the greatest burden of injury. It is an important symptom of the
road traffic of low and middle income countries. The greatest concern is the traffic mix of slow moving road
users, motor cycles and fast moving motorized vehicles. Children, elderly, and disabled people are at greater
risk. Children and older people are often the vulnerable road users over represented in traffic fatalities.
According to the Chennai traffic police, pedestrian and cyclist form one-third of the victims of accidents in
Chennai City. According to the Chennai traffic police pedestrian constituted 43 percent of the fatalities in
2010. This is an indication that the roads are more vulnerable to the road users than the motorists. The
statistics provided by Chennai Traffic police for the year 2010 is presented in Table 3.27.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

Table 1. 13. People affected in accident mode wise

Type of Road Users Years
Years 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
pedestrian 1464 1416 1508 1400 1336
cyclists 419 356 364 278 256
People riding two wheeler 1501 1624 1708 1469 1656
People travelling in cars 273 325 1322 785 749
People travelling in bus 83 40 129 108 109
others 1565 1708 568 958 919
Source: Analysis based on the data received by Chennai Traffic Police

iii. Causes of Accidents

Accidents are common due to high speed motorists. Main roads and other roads are often poorly
maintained and congested. Most of the main roads have only two lanes, with poor visibility and inadequate
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warning markers. Heavy traffic includes overloaded trucks and buses, scooters, bicycles, pedestrians and
free-roaming livestock. The city lacks basic facilities such as pedestrian crossings, grade crossings, and
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pavements on many roads.

5. Impact of Urban Transportation on Pollution and Congestion in Chennai City

Sustainable cities are characterized by good air, pure water and clean environment. Cities without
sustainable transportation will increase poverty, pollution, poor health, political upheaval and unrest. The
poor road infrastructure is the basic reason for pollution. Poor roads along with high vehicle population will
increase pollution, congestion and various urban ills. Proper management of the urban ecosystem and
efficiency of road and energy use can be a solution to noise pollution, climate change and issues related to
human health. Inefficiency of transport management will lead to:
i. Economic and Environmental Impacts of Traffic Jams
The increase in the number of vehicles on the road and the preferred use of the road for goods
transport and passenger travel result in a progressive saturation of the road network, resulting in particular
in more frequent and longer traffic jams. In addition to the problems of waste of time, stress and
aggressiveness, congestion of the road network has significant economic and environmental costs.

ii. Formation of Traffic Jams

Traffic jams occur when the road capacity is saturated owing to more number of vehicles passing
one point at the same time. Generally traffic congestion occurs in the morning and evening and sometimes
incident-related queues, related to road works, accidents and severe weather conditions. Uneven driving in

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

slow traffic leads to increases in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. In traffic jams, besides stress,
increased fuel consumption and emissions, it will also make travel less efficient.

6. Urban Land-use Planning and Transport

Transport planning is not integrated with urban land-use planning environment and health. The
predominance of private car worsens congestion; leads to more investment in new roads and parking space
instead of public transport infrastructure and services; Urban sprawl increases the dependence on cars and
other private vehicles for commuting. The dense public transport network in urban areas is being replaced
by growing private road transport. This trend affects the community environments of city residents and the
quality of life in the cities by reducing opportunities for walking and cycling and by reducing green spaces.
Roads seriously influence community environments and historical buildings by pollution and constant
vibration. Increasing road traffic has many damaging effects, such as crashes, noise and air pollution,
adverse social effects, lack of physical exercise, congestion and urban sprawl.
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7. Other Health Risks

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Driving on the city roads is wrought with problems such as chaotic traffic, poor traffic regulation,
uneven speed-breakers and roads with potholes take their toll on the riders. Poor road conditions result in
bad backs among those who commute long distance for work. Neurosurgeons say it is the young who suffer
the most damage. Problems are compounded if the damage to the spinal chord is identified too late and
Vehicle Operation Costs (VOC) such as costs of tyres, spare parts etc for different types of vehicles caused
by the poor road condition. Most vehicles, particularly loaded freight vehicles, are not designed to deal with
the sharp, repeated shocks caused by potholes. Most of the areas in Chennai do not have access to all
weather roads and hence have a tough time during the monsoons. Some of the important socio economic
problems identified of road transportation include:

i. High vehicle density in urban centres.

ii. Older vehicles predominant in vehicle vintage
iii. Predominance of private vehicles especially cars and two wheelers, owing to unsatisfactory
public transport system, thereby causing higher traffic congestion and emission.
iv. Absence of adequate land use planning in development of urban areas, thereby causing more
vehicle travel and fuel consumption
v. Inadequate inspection and maintenance facilities.

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

vi. Adulteration of fuel and fuel products

vii. Improper traffic management system and road conditions
viii. High levels of pollution at traffic intersections
ix. Absence of effective mass rapid transport system and intra-city railway networks
x. High population exodus to the urban centres.
xi. Increasing number of skyrocketing buildings in the urban areas.

8. What can be done?

Urban and road planners hold critical tools for promoting health risk and reducing many of the
health inequalities in present-day urban settings. Experience in many cities has shown that better transport
systems influence the full range of key health and development issues. Adopting a public transport vision
for health and social equity — providing for the access needs of the majority of the urban population, and
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considering the risks from transport should be part of the objectives of the transport sector.
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a) Creating a linkage between transport, urban planning and public health for creating a healthy
transport mechanism.
b) Creating access to knowledge on how a transport system avoids health risk
c) Carrying out health impact assessments.

9. Road Transport Solutions

Adopting a public transport vision for health and social equity — providing for the access needs of
the majority of the urban population, and considering the risks from transport should be part of the
objectives of the transport sector. The objectives include:

a) Linking the leadership and creating practical mechanisms for exchange between road
transport, urban planning and public health actors;
b) Creating access to knowledge on how a broad range of transport solutions contributes to
public health and helps avoid health risk;
c) Transport demand management, compact cities, emphasizing proximity between homes and
work places, and reduces the need to travel and exposure to transport-related health risks.
d) Priority to transport modes with least risks to health per unit of travel:

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 International Journal of Social and Economic Research Vol.6 (3) 2016 (July-Sept )

e) Priority in urban space should be for public transport, cycling and walking, with connectivity
assured between these modes.
f) Protection of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists should be assured of
dedicated space and protection in road design.
g) Public transport and urban spaces should be accessible to all levels of physical ability.
h) Adoption of clean and safe technologies; improvement of vehicle maintenance standards,
testing and surveillance of polluting vehicles; enforcement of speed and alcohol-while-driving
limits and traffic regulations; and adoption of individual safety measures such as helmets, and
seat belts.

D. Conclusion
As the population and number of vehicles are increasing abruptly, more amounts of pollutants are
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being discharged. It is important to preserve the nature for getting sustainable environment, for that a
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sustainable transportation system is indispensable. It is clearly seen from the present study that the roads in
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Chennai are presently carrying the traffic volumes higher than their capacities with reduced speeds and
associated delays. The operating speeds of the traffic on major road network of the city are higher as one
goes away from the inner areas of the city. However, the capacity of roads cannot be easily expanded
because of physical constraints imposed by built up area on either side of the carriageway. Besides this,
roadside encroachments are another serious problem in the city as they hinder smooth flow of traffic. In
addition to improving traffic operations as a means of reducing vehicle CO2 emissions, other transportation
measures can also be simultaneously promoted to reduce vehicle miles of travel (VMT), and thus vehicle
CO2 emissions. These measures include alternative modes of transportation, innovative land-use patterns,
and better travel demand management strategies.

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