Influencing Modal Choice for Pollution Control : Feasibility, Costs and Benefits - The Case of an Indian Megacity, Kolkata

Whilst the developed nations have used technology-forcing standards or market mechanisms (such as taxes) as their main tool for the control of transport pollution, transportation demand management (TDM) may have greater relevance for cities in poorer countries: and the choice of less polluting modes of travel is a crucial aspect of TDM. With the help of a carefully selected sample of 3000 individuals residing in or commuting to the city of Kolkata, we have determined, from the travel behavior of the sample, the composition of the modes used by commuters in the city. Using measurements of the degree of pollution by all existing modes of transport, we have derived the total air pollution created by this modal structure. We have then looked at the extent to which we can make transport users shift to less polluting modes, and hereby evolved a number of feasible modal structures that would reduce air pollution. We determined the benefit (in terms of emissions reduction) and costs of changing the current modal composition to each of these alternatives. We were hereby able to arrive at several optimum modal compositions for Kolkata