Indian Railways' new train of thought: Ro-Ro service to cut down traffic woes in Delhi

With the launch of a roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) service to carry loaded trucks on wagons from Haryana's Gurugram to Muradnagar in Uttar Pradesh, the network plans to extend the service to private vehicles jostling with daily snarls.

Rakesh Ranjan | Posted by Shraddha Jandial

New Delhi, March 3,

HIGHLIGHTS

1Commercial vehicles entering Delhi spew close to 30 per cent of the total particulate load

2The Ro-Ro service aims to reduce carbon emission and congestion on the roads

3Suresh Prabhu launched the pilot project on Thursday.

A new train of thought from Indian Railways will help unclog the National Capital Region's trafficpacked roads and help residents breathe easy.

With the launch of a roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) service to carry loaded trucks on wagons from Haryana's Gurugram to Muradnagar in Uttar Pradesh, the network plans to extend the service to private vehicles jostling with daily snarls.

According to the railways, about 20,000 trucks not meant for NCR enter the region daily to travel further. Out of the total 127 entry-exit points to the city, nine major points crisscrossing the region account for 75 per cent of the commercial light and heavy duty trucks. Railway ministry officials said eight more routes will be identified soon.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES CAUSE POLLUTION IN DELHI

A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows commercial vehicles entering Delhi spew close to 30 per cent of the total particulate load and 22 per cent of nitrogen oxide load from the transport sector.

The Ro-Ro service aims to reduce carbon emission and congestion on the roads of the national capital region (NCR) as about 66,000 diesel-guzzling trucks pass through Delhi and its adjoining areas in a day.

"Nearly 80 per cent of the heavy goods vehicles entering Delhi are overloaded, but the border checkpoints don't have the mechanism to weigh these vehicles. These diesel-guzzling trucks are also the major source of pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 that have hit an all-time high in Delhi in recent months. Launch of Ro-Ro service is a welcome initiative but it will be beneficial only after capacity augmentation," said Dr PK Sarkar, head of transport planning at the School of Planning and Architecture.