Time will come when people say no to road widening, says IIT faculty

Thrissur: A time will come when the youth will oppose the widening of roads, urban transport expert Dr B K Bhavathrathan has said. Bhavathrathan, an associate professor of civil engineering at IIT-Palakkad, said wider roads need not be a solution to traffic woes always. He was delivering the keynote address at the 29th edition of Beyond Square Feet, a lecture series organised by Asset Homes. The event was organised in connection with The Global Observance of World Habitat Day, with the theme 'Engaging youth to create a better urban future.'

"Widening of roads need not be a solution. What we see is when a road is widened all vehicles in that route choose it. With this, commercial establishments and real estate development will concentrate in that area. It will again lead to rush and traffic jam, failing the very purpose of the decision to widen the road,” he said.

He advocated for maximum use of public transport. He said the use of bicycles which don’t need fuel and walking should be encouraged. Buses that run on diesel are more sustainable than private electric cars, he said.

“If vehicles are banned in areas like Ariyangadi in Thrissur and pedestrians are encouraged thereby ensuring enough shade from the sun, trade will only flourish. The city you see while walking is different from what you see from inside a car. While walking, you feel a sense of ownership and belonging,” he said.

He pointed out that the ‘car-centric’ development is not suitable for a country like India where mixed land use is in practice. It is a planning strategy that combines multiple land uses into one space, such as residential, commercial, cultural, or institutional.

He suggested that the government should encourage car-pooling and cab sharing by making apps. Crowd shipping methods also should be promoted for transporting goods, he said. Asset Homes founder and managing director Sunil Kumar V also spoke.