Sustainable Roads

It was by chance that I got hold of one of the documents available on internet on “Sustainable Roads”. This document sent me spinning with my mind wandering across the horizons along the time zones in order to contemplate what exactly Sustainable Roads means.

Can a road really be sustainable?

After deliberating a lot, I decided that in what context? Yes, a road can be sustainable or unsustainable depending upon the “context” it serves. A Road catering to the comforts of Public Transport users or which allows people to walk and cycle around is definitely a “sustainable road”. The Ideal example on a larger scale can be the “PMGSY” road program unleashed by the Indian government. It harps on small investments to provide connectivity to the village people by means of economical road designs. It allows people to drive cycle, bullock carts, buses, tractors to neighboring villages thus slowing down the urbanization rate but improving the economy. But, the majority of road expansion programs being carried out in various Asian countries and cities which promote private transportation under the bandwagon of “Traffic Congestion Mitigation” are definitely not sustainable.

Source: http://pmgsy.nic.in/

Transport People across the world are literally hooked to one of the quotes from Mahatma Gandhi which says “means are more important than ends”. This quote best describes the Transport Policy Maker’s obsession with “Roads and satisfying the needs of private vehicles” rather than on satisfying the “trip purpose”. A Cycle Track or a footpath built at minuscule of budgets would be “sustainable” rather than a flyover which “saves” (or shaves considering the induced traffic) the fuel at the junction. I believe that the Roads are not the “Only” solutions; it is a part of “Problem”. Let us concentrate on the satisfying the “ends” by “sustainable means” for a better future for our next generation. We have the mandate to create sustainable future and let us not waste it !!!