Lok Sabha Question No. 824 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-21
Subject: Green Corridors
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, PRATHAP SIMHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 824 ANSWERED ON 21 ST   JULY, 2016

## GREEN CORRIDORS

## 824.   KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government proposes to create Green Corridors/separate lanes for emergency vehicles like Ambulances, Fire Tenders and Police Vans, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government also proposes to formulate any policy for impounding vehicles deliberately blocking emergency vehicles, if so, the details thereof;

(c) the total number of vehicles on roads at present in the country;

(d) the increase in number of vehicles expected to be on roads during the next five years; and

(e)  whether the Government has prepared any action plan to improve public transport system to decrease the traffic problem in cities/metros?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

(a) & (b) As per Rule 10 of Rules of Road Regulations, 1989 under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every driver shall, on the approach of a fire service vehicle or of an ambulance allow it free  passage  by  drawing  to  the  side  of  the  road.  Implementations  of  provisions  of  Motor Vehicles Act and Central Motor Vehicles Rules come under State Government.

(c)  &  (d)  As  per  the  latest  available  information  received  from  Vahan  Database,  the  total number  of  registered  motor  vehicles  as  on  31 st March,  2016  were  19,16,73,947.    The Compound Annual Growth Rate of total Registered Motor Vehicles in India for the last 5 years i.e. from 2011 to 2016 was 94.40%. The increase in number of vehicles expected to be on  roads  during  the  next  five  years  depends    on  the  new  policy  of  State  Government  and Government of India.

(e)  'Urban  Transport'  is  intertwined  with  Urban  Development,  which  is  State  Subject. However,  Ministry  of  Urban  Development  has  taken  following  initiatives  to  improve  the traffic problem in cities/metros:

- (i) National Urban Transport Policy-2006.
- (ii) Financial assistance upto 20% for Metro Rail Projects initiated by State Govt.
- (iii) More than 22,500 buses sanctioned to 157 cities/cluster of cities under erstwhile JnNURM  Scheme.
- (iv) 80%  financial assistance is being provided by Ministry for preparation of Comprehensive  Mobility  Plans(CMPs)  and  other  Urban  Transport  related  studies by cities, 50% cost of DPR preparation for Mass Rapid Transport System is also provided under UT planning and Capacity Building Scheme.
- (v) Ministry has also prepared guidance documents for setting up of Unified Metropolitan  Transport  Authority  (UMTA),  Urban  Transport  Fund  (UTF),  Bus Operations, Traffic Management Information and Control Centre (TMICC), Public Bike Sharing (PBS) etc. for help of the State Govt/City authorities.
- (vi) More  than  1000  city  officials  have  been  trained  from  all  over  India  on  Urban Transport issues.
- (vii) Ministry has issued several advisories such congestion charging, innovative financing, UMTA for million plus cities etc. for lthe  half of cities.
- (viii) Ministry  has  also  provided  financial  assistance  for  Bus  Rapid  Transit  System (BRTS) for 12 cities.
- (ix) Urban Transport component such as BRT, Buses, Footpaths, Cycles etc have been made important component of AMRUT scheme of the Ministry.

In addition, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has introduced a scheme for providing  Central  assistance  to  the  States/UTs/State  Road  Transport  Undertakings  for strengthening  public  transport  system.    The  objective  of  the  scheme  is  to  provide financial  assistance  for  use  of  latest  information  technology  such  as  GPS/GSM  based vehicle  tracking  system,  computerized  reservation  system,  automatic  fare  collection system, electronic ticket vending machines, passenger information system etc. for intercity and rural area operations and also for working out mobility plan.   The increased use of public transport will reduce the use of private vehicles which will reduce congestion on road and decrease traffic problems.

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