SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, LAND USE, AND TRAVEL PATTERNS OF CHENNAI (MADRAS)

摘要

Mobility in Chennai is becoming a concern, not only to the travelers, but also to the providers of transportation systems and services. Primary causes of mobility problems arise due to increasing demands on transportation facilities and services, which are unable to expand at the pace of demand. This is resulting in the deterioration of quality of transportation - severe traffic congestion, air pollution, accidents, reduced speeds, higher travel times, and increased travel stress. With the improvement in economic status of the Chennai residents (with higher incomes and affordability) and inadequacies of public transportation, a shift to private transportation for travel is the current trend. This is conspicuous through the explosion in the number of two-wheelers. The fast growth in car ownership is also visible. While these may offer convenience and comfort to travelers, they have rendered the city's road network inadequate. Though Chennai can boast of having one of the best public transportation systems in India, the system is still not fully adequate to meet the growing demands of travelers. The pace and nature of growth of the city, influenced by migration of the rural population to the city, haphazard development of settlements, and growth of slum areas are also serious concerns that threaten to further tax the city's transportation infrastructure. In this context, what the city's transportation systems call for is enhancement of network capacities, by adding road space within budget constraints and removing traffic bottlenecks; more effective traffic management and enforcement; better integration of the bus and the rail systems; and cautious land use control.