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Time of India
10 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Delhi's Bus Connectivity Crisis: Short Trips Highlight Need for Improved Neighbourhood Services, ET Infra
Advt Advt By Six in 10 daily trips made by commuters using public transport in Delhi are under 4 km, but most city buses operate on longer routes rather than providing robust connectivity within to a study conducted by International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the true potential of public transport can only be unlocked if transit services align with the short-distance mobility needs of commuters. The study, "Neighbourhood Public Transit Services: Situational Analysis of Bus-Based Public Transport Supply in Delhi," proposes a neighbourhood-level approach for expanding bus services, especially through the deployment of smaller electric buses designed to serve short, intrazonal study presents a spatially granular analysis of bus-based public transport availability across the national capital territory. By leveraging geographic information systems, ward-level data, and transport route information from DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, which runs cluster buses, the study concluded that 31% of urban neighbourhoods in Delhi fall outside a 500-metre radius of a public bus stop, a threshold recognised as the standard for walkable access under India's transit-oriented development Delhi made important strides in expanding its metro network and introducing new buses under govt's initiatives, ICCT in its study asserted that access to low-cost, reliable neighbourhood mobility remained limited for many. "Nearly one-third of Delhi's urban area lacks convenient access to formal bus services. For thousands of residents, daily mobility often involves long walks or costly last-mile connections, conditions that discourage public transport use and contribute to congestion and pollution," the study pointed identified Deoli, Jaitpur, Sangam Vihar, Mustafabad, Ghonda, Sainik Enclave, Hari Nagar Extension and Prem Nagar among the most underserved municipal wards in the capital. These areas house a large number of unauthorised colonies and have a labyrinth of narrow lanes and bylanes that cannot be catered to by full-length buses currently operated by DTC and Delhi has extensive and vast public transport connectivity, it lacks accessibility in dense urban settlements where a traditional 12m city bus cannot operate with ease. "By aligning route design with localised demand patterns and physical constraints such as road widths, the study strongly advocates short-distance, high-frequency neighbourhood buses tailored to Delhi's complex urban fabric," ICCT said, recommending that smaller 9-metre neighbourhood buses on roads seven metres or wider should be study pointed out that Delhi govt recently launched Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (Devi) buses, a fleet of smaller electric buses intended to serve as last-mile and intra-zonal connectors across areas that cannot accommodate traditional 12-metre buses."First-and last-mile connectivity and the need to serve low-density or hard-to-reach areas are critical challenges that hinder the scaling up of bus services in cities. To address these issues, cities around the world introduced neighbourhood-level bus services, such as 'Community Buses' in Japan, 'Neighbourhood Circulators' in the United States, and Quartiersbusse in Germany. In India, Devi bus is a similar innovation, with Delhi govt piloting such a service in the city," said ICCT India's managing director Amit Bhatt."If successful, this scheme would not only benefit Delhi but also have a strong ripple effect across other cities in the country," he added.
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
6 In 10 Daily Trips Under 4km: Why Delhi's Transit Leaves Many Behind
New Delhi: Six in 10 daily trips made by commuters using public transport in Delhi are under 4 km, but most city buses operate on longer routes rather than providing robust connectivity within neighbourhoods. According to a study conducted by International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the true potential of public transport can only be unlocked if transit services align with the short-distance mobility needs of commuters. The study, "Neighbourhood Public Transit Services: Situational Analysis of Bus-Based Public Transport Supply in Delhi," proposes a neighbourhood-level approach for expanding bus services, especially through the deployment of smaller electric buses designed to serve short, intrazonal routes. The study presents a spatially granular analysis of bus-based public transport availability across the national capital territory. By leveraging geographic information systems, ward-level data, and transport route information from DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, which runs cluster buses, the study concluded that 31% of urban neighbourhoods in Delhi fall outside a 500-metre radius of a public bus stop, a threshold recognised as the standard for walkable access under India's transit-oriented development policy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo While Delhi made important strides in expanding its metro network and introducing new buses under govt's initiatives, ICCT in its study asserted that access to low-cost, reliable neighbourhood mobility remained limited for many. "Nearly one-third of Delhi's urban area lacks convenient access to formal bus services. For thousands of residents, daily mobility often involves long walks or costly last-mile connections, conditions that discourage public transport use and contribute to congestion and pollution," the study pointed out. It identified Deoli, Jaitpur, Sangam Vihar, Mustafabad, Ghonda, Sainik Enclave, Hari Nagar Extension and Prem Nagar among the most underserved municipal wards in the capital. These areas house a large number of unauthorised colonies and have a labyrinth of narrow lanes and bylanes that cannot be catered to by full-length buses currently operated by DTC and DIMTS. While Delhi has extensive and vast public transport connectivity, it lacks accessibility in dense urban settlements where a traditional 12m city bus cannot operate with ease. "By aligning route design with localised demand patterns and physical constraints such as road widths, the study strongly advocates short-distance, high-frequency neighbourhood buses tailored to Delhi's complex urban fabric," ICCT said, recommending that smaller 9-metre neighbourhood buses on roads seven metres or wider should be deployed. The study pointed out that Delhi govt recently launched Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (Devi) buses, a fleet of smaller electric buses intended to serve as last-mile and intra-zonal connectors across areas that cannot accommodate traditional 12-metre buses. "First-and last-mile connectivity and the need to serve low-density or hard-to-reach areas are critical challenges that hinder the scaling up of bus services in cities. To address these issues, cities around the world introduced neighbourhood-level bus services, such as 'Community Buses' in Japan, 'Neighbourhood Circulators' in the United States, and Quartiersbusse in Germany. In India, Devi bus is a similar innovation, with Delhi govt piloting such a service in the city," said ICCT India's managing director Amit Bhatt. "If successful, this scheme would not only benefit Delhi but also have a strong ripple effect across other cities in the country," he added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Where are India's electric tractors?
There is no state in India without tractors. In 2016, the ICCT estimated that emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from non-road vehicles, including agriculture tractors, would exceed emissions from on-road vehicles in India by 2030. Transitioning to electric tractors (e-tractors) in agriculture is important, including for an inclusive electric vehicle (EV) transition (after the two- and three-wheeler segments, as vulnerable populations gain the most from EVs there), but there were no e-tractors registered in India in fiscal year 2024–25. Why aren't e-tractors being sold in India? And how can policy support and manufacturer efforts advance the state of the market? There's no doubt that e-tractors bring many benefits. They reduce emissions while saving diesel costs for farmers. Because they also produce less noise and vibrations, e-tractors can also reduce hearing loss and mitigate multiple health risks from long-term use of diesel tractors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The PM E-DRIVE scheme's initial press release mentioned incentives for 'other emerging EVs,' but purchase incentives for e-tractors have yet to be notified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. In the meantime, state EV policies are leading the way. Andhra Pradesh's EV policy offers a subsidy of 5% on the purchase of an e-tractor that costs ₹8 lakhs or less. Subsidies can indeed be useful, especially as the ICCT's analysis in 2022 showed the upfront cost of an e-tractor was double that of a similar diesel tractor. However, most e-tractors are priced above ₹8 lakhs, and no one has thus far taken advantage of the subsidy. Live Events Madhya Pradesh's EV policy takes a different approach and exempts e-tractors from the motor vehicle tax and registration fees. Haryana's EV policy has the most lucrative incentive in the country—it offers a 50% subsidy (up to ₹5 lakhs) on the cost of an e-tractor. However, even in Haryana, no e-tractor has claimed the subsidy since the policy was notified in May 2022. This raises a question of supply. There are e-tractor manufacturers in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana, Haryana, and Maharashtra. As of May 2025, there are at least three manufacturers with the AIS 168 safety standard certification that was notified by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in January 2021. This certification is necessary to sell e-tractors in India and the three are AutoNxt Automation, which produces a 45 hp tractor, Shree Marut E-Agrotech, which makes a 28 hp tractor, and TI Clean Mobility, which manufactures a 27 hp tractor. There are others in pilot production phases, including 50 hp and 75 hp e-tractors from Moonrider AI, and 35–50 hp e-tractors from Bullwork mobility from Bengaluru. Still other manufacturers are offering e-tractors under 18 hp, like Cygnus Motors in Gujarat and Sukoon Solutions in Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, there have been limited efforts on e-tractors from mainstream diesel tractor market leaders. This matters because models being sold by mainstream tractor manufacturers would be expected to encourage a larger pool of farmers to explore the technology. For the startups, the ability to tap the existing demand will likely require pilots and a better understanding of how e-tractors fit in the agriculture ecosystem and the ways in which e-tractors improve farmers' work. To help, the ICCT is currently studying the real-world energy savings that e-tractors offer over diesel tractors for farmers in Haryana. We're piloting 28–60 hp e-tractors from multiple manufacturers across eight agriculture applications. Diesel tractors in Haryana are typically used for tilling, sowing, threshing of the crop and then cutting, lining, rolling and stacking crop residue. Our work shows that diesel consumption for any typical tractor varies across applications. While ploughing could consume about 6 L/hr, sowing seeds just consumes about 1 L/hr. It's similar for crop residue management; cutting of the residue, lining it, and stacking rolls of crop residue consumes about 2–3 L/hr, much less than the 9 L/hr consumed by rolling of the residue with a baling machine. The baling machine requires at least a 60 hp tractor to operate. The fuel economies also differ by crop, and transport applications of agriculture are the most diverse. Both harvest and crop residue are transported using tractors, and tractors are also used for transportation of inputs to the field like animal fodder, fertilizers, water tanks, and more. The fuel economy can vary from 4–8 L/km, depending on the load. Tractors are also used extensively in horticulture. In Haryana, wheat, paddy and crop residue management will need bigger e-tractors (45 hp or more), but smaller (28–45 hp) e-tractors can easily cater to the needs of crops like sugarcane, transport of agriculture inputs, and horticulture. A growing body of evidence of the ability of e-tractors to meet farming requirements and reduce costs could push e-tractor adoption. Meanwhile, e-tractor manufacturers can do more to leverage the conducive policies in states like Haryana and need not wait for the Centre to announce incentives. As more state governments consider including e-tractors in EV policies, robust evidence from pilots will help them draft effective policies. Increasing sales and more proof of real-world benefits of e-tractors may also spur the Government of India to include e-tractors in national EV incentive programs. The reality is that e-tractors are already here. In India, a more conducive policy context and more proactive steps from industry can help make them mainstream in the coming years.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Where are India's electric tractors?
There is no state in India without tractors. In 2016, the ICCT estimated that emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from non-road vehicles, including agriculture tractors, would exceed emissions from on-road vehicles in India by 2030. Transitioning to electric tractors ( e-tractors ) in agriculture is important, including for an inclusive electric vehicle (EV) transition (after the two- and three-wheeler segments, as vulnerable populations gain the most from EVs there), but there were no e-tractors registered in India in fiscal year 2024–25. Why aren't e-tractors being sold in India? And how can policy support and manufacturer efforts advance the state of the market? There's no doubt that e-tractors bring many benefits. They reduce emissions while saving diesel costs for farmers. Because they also produce less noise and vibrations, e-tractors can also reduce hearing loss and mitigate multiple health risks from long-term use of diesel tractors. The PM E-DRIVE scheme 's initial press release mentioned incentives for 'other emerging EVs,' but purchase incentives for e-tractors have yet to be notified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. In the meantime, state EV policies are leading the way. Andhra Pradesh's EV policy offers a subsidy of 5% on the purchase of an e-tractor that costs ₹8 lakhs or less. Subsidies can indeed be useful, especially as the ICCT's analysis in 2022 showed the upfront cost of an e-tractor was double that of a similar diesel tractor. However, most e-tractors are priced above ₹8 lakhs, and no one has thus far taken advantage of the subsidy. Madhya Pradesh's EV policy takes a different approach and exempts e-tractors from the motor vehicle tax and registration fees. Haryana's EV policy has the most lucrative incentive in the country—it offers a 50% subsidy (up to ₹5 lakhs) on the cost of an e-tractor. However, even in Haryana, no e-tractor has claimed the subsidy since the policy was notified in May 2022. This raises a question of supply. There are e-tractor manufacturers in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana, Haryana, and Maharashtra. As of May 2025, there are at least three manufacturers with the AIS 168 safety standard certification that was notified by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in January 2021. This certification is necessary to sell e-tractors in India and the three are AutoNxt Automation, which produces a 45 hp tractor, Shree Marut E-Agrotech, which makes a 28 hp tractor, and TI Clean Mobility, which manufactures a 27 hp tractor. There are others in pilot production phases, including 50 hp and 75 hp e-tractors from Moonrider AI, and 35–50 hp e-tractors from Bullwork mobility from Bengaluru. Still other manufacturers are offering e-tractors under 18 hp, like Cygnus Motors in Gujarat and Sukoon Solutions in Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, there have been limited efforts on e-tractors from mainstream diesel tractor market leaders. This matters because models being sold by mainstream tractor manufacturers would be expected to encourage a larger pool of farmers to explore the technology. For the startups, the ability to tap the existing demand will likely require pilots and a better understanding of how e-tractors fit in the agriculture ecosystem and the ways in which e-tractors improve farmers' work. To help, the ICCT is currently studying the real-world energy savings that e-tractors offer over diesel tractors for farmers in Haryana. We're piloting 28–60 hp e-tractors from multiple manufacturers across eight agriculture applications. Diesel tractors in Haryana are typically used for tilling, sowing, threshing of the crop and then cutting, lining, rolling and stacking crop residue. Our work shows that diesel consumption for any typical tractor varies across applications. While ploughing could consume about 6 L/hr, sowing seeds just consumes about 1 L/hr. It's similar for crop residue management; cutting of the residue, lining it, and stacking rolls of crop residue consumes about 2–3 L/hr, much less than the 9 L/hr consumed by rolling of the residue with a baling machine. The baling machine requires at least a 60 hp tractor to operate. The fuel economies also differ by crop, and transport applications of agriculture are the most diverse. Both harvest and crop residue are transported using tractors, and tractors are also used for transportation of inputs to the field like animal fodder, fertilizers, water tanks, and more. The fuel economy can vary from 4–8 L/km, depending on the load. Tractors are also used extensively in horticulture. In Haryana, wheat, paddy and crop residue management will need bigger e-tractors (45 hp or more), but smaller (28–45 hp) e-tractors can easily cater to the needs of crops like sugarcane, transport of agriculture inputs, and horticulture. A growing body of evidence of the ability of e-tractors to meet farming requirements and reduce costs could push e-tractor adoption. Meanwhile, e-tractor manufacturers can do more to leverage the conducive policies in states like Haryana and need not wait for the Centre to announce incentives. As more state governments consider including e-tractors in EV policies, robust evidence from pilots will help them draft effective policies. Increasing sales and more proof of real-world benefits of e-tractors may also spur the Government of India to include e-tractors in national EV incentive programs. The reality is that e-tractors are already here. In India, a more conducive policy context and more proactive steps from industry can help make them mainstream in the coming years.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Science
- Euronews
How shipping in the EU is driving the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice
Black carbon emissions from European shipping in the Arctic have been significantly underestimated, a new study suggests. Produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels in ship engines, black carbon is contributing to the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice. Previous reports have only focused on vessels flying EU flags, overlooking the impact of ships travelling to and from EU ports. 'Our findings show that ships connected to EU trade, regardless of their flag, are major drivers of black carbon pollution in the Arctic,' says Liudmila Osipova, senior researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), and lead author of its new study. 'Recognising these emissions in future policies could help the EU better align its climate goals with its real footprint in the Arctic.' As Arctic shipping activity increases, so too are the associated black carbon (BC) emissions. Between 2015 and 2021, BC emissions in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s definition of the Arctic nearly doubled, according to the study. In the more broadly defined Geographic Arctic, shipping emitted 1.5 kilotonnes (kt) of BC and 12 kt of CO₂ in 2021. About a quarter of these emissions occurred within the IMO definition of the Arctic, indicating a strong growth in BC emissions in the polar area, from 193 tonnes in 2015 to 413 tonnes six years later. This growth trend is concerning, since one tonne of black carbon has a global warming effect equivalent to 900 tonnes of CO₂, as it absorbs more heat in the atmosphere. BC's impact is particularly pronounced in the Arctic. When the sooty particles settle on snow or ice, they reduce the albedo of these surfaces, meaning they reflect less light and so melt faster. This compounds the climate challenges in a region which is already heating up three to four times faster than the global average. Despite its potent climate and health impacts - it is linked to lung cancer, respiratory illness, and cardiopulmonary disease - BC remains one of the most unregulated short-lived climate and air pollutants. Brussels typically only accounts for the emissions from its EU-flagged ships in the Arctic. To give a truer picture of the pollution over which the bloc has control, ICCT has also totted up BC and CO₂ from EU-regulated ships, which answer to the EU Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system as they voyage between EU ports. These vessels are the bigger polluters, it found. BC and CO₂ emissions from EU-regulated ships of at least 5,000 gross tonnage were nearly double those from EU-flagged ships in the IMO Arctic in 2021. That year, nearly three-quarters of the ships operating in the Geographic Arctic and half of those in the IMO Arctic were navigating to or from EU ports. To address a significant gap in its maritime regulation, the researchers say that EU policymakers could include BC among the pollutants measured and reported within the bloc's MRV system. Beyond improved emissions tracking, there are various ways to reduce BC emissions, such as incentivising ships to use distillate instead of residual fuel, and encouraging the installation of diesel particulate filters on board.
