Reduce Pollution While on Wheels

Introduction

Globally, transport accounts for approximately 23 percent of CO₂ emissions, with road transport accounting for as much as 17-18 percent . In urban setting, mobility is compromised due to increasing number of passenger cars. Even with wider roads and advance cars ; we take longer to cover same distance than a couple of decades back. A compact urban design combined with efficient public transport is central to achieving a low-carbon goal. Affluent societies, prefer cars for commuting even short distances. The majority of the western urban areas are designed with high footprints and ground coverage. It results in higher Green House Gases (GHG) emissions in transportation and urban service (water, electricity, sewerage, etc.) delivery.

In India, man driven rickshaws, bicycles and walking are the norms for short distance commute. Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) dominates many Indian cities. Even in megacities, with a population of over eight million, the modal share of NMT ranges from 40 – 50 percent (walking and bicycling). It is attributed to the congested design and mix land use of Indian cities, resulting in shorter trips. NMT is the only accessible mode of transport for low-income households. The NMT use needs to be promoted for achieving sustainability goals of the transport sector. E-rickshaws are also getting popular for short-distance commute. Public transport helps curb road congestion and pollution.

Tips

• Practice car pooling.
• Get a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate from authorised testing centres and ensure its timely renewal.
• Maintain your vehicle in proper condition – follow service schedule. Keep automobile fuel filters clean and save fuel.
• Clean the air filter, oil filter and fuel filter regularly.
• Maintain recommended tyre pressure.
• For short commute-use walking.
• Avoid peak office hours to reduce traffic congestion.
• Promote use of electric / hybrid / CNG or LPG based vehicles.
• Maintain optimum speed for higher fuel mileage/efficiency.
• Avoid rash driving for safety and better fuel efficiency.
• Switch off the engine on traffic signals and in parking lots. • Avoid unnecessary use of brakes. • Never overload your vehicle.
• Don’t park in ‘No Parking’ area.
• Use reusable (glass or food grade recyclable products) bottle for drinking water.
• Don’t spit or throw trash from your car window.
• Use a bucket to wash the car in place of hose pipe.
• Carry cloth bags to collect trash/waste during commute
• Dispose of trash/waste in proper disposal bins.

Source : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change