Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Comments
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
The vision of a more walkable Delhi
DW (English)
Follow
11/26/2024
Cyclists and pedestrians in Delhi are in constant danger due to road traffic and pollution. An initiative gives residents a taste of safer urban living, by redesigning 15 intersections and over 50 km of streets to make the capital more walkable.
Category
🗞
News
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Getting to the nearest metro station, be it by bike or on foot, is nothing short of running
00:06
the gauntlet for Victor Day.
00:09
The software engineer's workplace is 48 kilometres away, and his daily commute across
00:14
the city throws up challenges from the very beginning.
00:17
For almost a good one, one and a half kilometre stretch here, there's no footpaths and it's
00:25
very, very difficult to navigate.
00:26
I mean, walking is a very far stretch, but I think even cycling is very difficult here.
00:30
The only choice you have is either to be in a car so that you don't get your feet wet,
00:34
you don't get yourself dirty.
00:37
In India's largest city by size and population, pedestrians and cyclists risk injury and worse
00:43
every day.
00:44
Over the last three decades, the number of vehicles in Delhi has grown exponentially
00:48
to reach 12 million today.
00:51
These vehicles jostle for space with pedestrians in densely populated areas and tourist hotspots
00:57
alike.
00:58
We don't understand where people want to go.
01:06
And it goes from the right, from the left, and from front and behind, and wow!
01:15
It's very difficult.
01:18
Hotspots are a must if you want people to enjoy the experience of shopping.
01:21
If there are cars in market areas, it is bound to create traffic jams.
01:26
It's difficult to walk.
01:27
There is a lot of noise pollution and traffic creates problems for vendors as well because
01:32
then we have to move to create space for pedestrians.
01:35
Yesterday, someone almost like drove over my foot, just like in the last second.
01:46
It's scary.
01:51
Over its 1,000-year history, Delhi's transportation arteries evolved to accommodate pedestrians,
01:56
cyclists and a handful of horse-drawn carriages.
02:01
Since the 1980s, the city has largely forgotten about these users.
02:05
Now much of the city is built to accommodate the ever-growing number of cars.
02:10
Studies show that 15% of residents who drive cars take up over 90% of the road infrastructure.
02:20
Professor Geetam Tiwari has been studying why the government has been unable to stem
02:24
the use of cars on Delhi's roads.
02:29
We don't have walking infrastructure in place.
02:33
So if I have to use a bus and negotiate a very poor quality of pedestrian path, I avoid
02:39
using a bus.
02:41
Of course, this is not the only factor.
02:44
Quality of public transport matters a lot.
02:46
But to begin with, the first step is towards creating a safe, comfortable and risk-free
02:55
access trips, which is walking.
02:58
Delhi regularly ranks among the cities with the most polluted air globally.
03:03
Its citizens bear the brunt of this pollution, but they are beginning to build a movement
03:07
for safer and more inclusive streets.
03:11
Here in south-west Delhi's Dwarka, this arterial road is full of people on foot, instead
03:16
of getting clogged with vehicles.
03:19
Residents are here to celebrate Rahagiri Day.
03:22
It is similar to reclaim the streets movements seen across the world.
03:31
This event is really inclusive.
03:33
Everyone including all ages here.
03:37
It's my first experience and I'm really liking it.
03:41
This event is an initiative of the NGO Rahagiri Foundation and the Delhi Traffic Police.
03:47
They hope to give residents a taste of walkable urban living and pedestrian-friendly roads.
03:53
The NGO also uses feedback and learnings from such events to redesign and rebuild the streets
03:58
all over Delhi.
04:00
We do traffic survey, basically traffic volume survey, origin, destination, people, where
04:06
from, where they are coming and their travel pattern.
04:11
Also we look into land use, it's an industrial area, it's a commercial area, it's a mixed
04:16
use.
04:17
Are there any urban villages nearby because from there that is the maximum people walk
04:22
from there.
04:24
So far the foundation has redesigned over 50 kilometres of streets and 50 intersections
04:30
in the capital.
04:31
They hope to change how people make most of their shorter trips.
04:37
Many intersections have now zero fatalities and injuries, few reduced to 50 percent.
04:43
The streets have zero dust pollution now.
04:47
However in a city with over 30 million people and little pedestrian infrastructure, this
04:52
is a drop in the ocean.
04:54
And in areas with available pedestrian infrastructure, women's safety continues to be a major stumbling
05:00
block.
05:01
I would not feel safe walking around at night alone or even in the evening.
05:06
So I would just spend a lot of money on autos or cabs for a very walkable distance.
05:12
As Delhi continues to suffer the effects of sky high air pollution, making the city more
05:17
walkable could make for a better and less polluted city in the long run.
05:22
The city has announced plans to make about half of the city walkable by 2041.
05:28
If the execution keeps pace, this could be a step in the right direction.
Recommended
0:41
|
Up next
London street fears pedestrian will soon be killed by speeding driver
LondonWorld
2/19/2025
1:58
Delhi Metro's shocking video, people stuffed metro challenging odd even rule
Oneindia
4/27/2017
0:57
Paris follows major European cities with introduction of car-free zones - and residents don't notice
euronews (in English)
11/8/2024
10:16
Delhi Traffic Police gears up for Monsoon: Action plan to combat waterlogging & congestion
ANI
5/31/2025
0:57
Locals criticise "dangerous" cycle lane - which stops in middle of pavement
SWNS
2/28/2025
1:00
“Cyclists don‘t obey traffic lights“ - Liverpool on Motorists vs Cyclists
National World - LocalTV
6/19/2025
1:26
Protestors demand urgent Active Travel review to make streets safer
The Star, Sheffield
11/22/2022
0:32
Thick hazardous smog envelopes Delhi’s roads causing danger to drivers
The Independent
11/15/2024
5:00
Tashkent's urban revolution: How green transport is shaping the capital's mobility
euronews (in English)
11/26/2024
1:18
Lady Traffic Police Sonali Soni sings to spread road safety awareness in Indore
ANI
4/22/2025
19:47
Nation View: Delhi govt's even-odd solution would help curb pollution?
NewsNation
5/12/2020
0:46
Massive traffic jam after farmers hit Delhi-Noida Flyway
NewsNation
4/17/2020
6:32
Walkathon and awareness programme under 8th UN Global Road Safety Week organised in J&K’s Srinagar
ANI
5/19/2025
1:42
Delhi pollution reaches dangerous levels, people advised to stay at home
Oneindia
4/27/2017
0:35
Travel Conditions Worsen Due to Severe Smog Near Delhi
StoryfulNews
11/8/2017
1:49
Delhi government urges locals to use public transport to curb air pollution
Deccan Herald
11/17/2021
2:29
New Delhi's toxic smog forces vulnerable residents to consider leaving
Bangkok Post Group
11/17/2024
2:36
Paris and London adopt different approaches to future urban mobility
euronews (in English)
9/6/2023
3:16
Manipur: Imphal’s Ring Road Project paves the way for a smarter, faster city
ANI
5/1/2025
1:45
New cycle route proposed from city centre to Longbridge
National World - LocalTV
4 days ago
1:40
Canada rescinds digital services tax to advance stalled US trade talks
The Star
yesterday
1:50
Firefighters battle to contain wildfires in western Turkey for second day
The Star
yesterday
2:52
Putra Heights fire: Selangor to form committee to draft preventive strategies - MB
The Star
yesterday
3:05
Short track-Do you know what happens During sexual arousal inside the body_ what is the clitoris_
A To Z Videos
10/5/2022
6:30
Do you know how orgasm is in females_ female body and biology
A To Z Videos
10/5/2022