Raghav Chadha: Traffic Jams Are Choking India’s Economic Growth
AAP MP urges national mission to tackle urban traffic congestion.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Friday raised alarm over growing traffic congestion in India’s major metropolitan cities, calling for the launch of a National Urban Decongestion Mission to tackle the escalating crisis. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha described the situation as turning metro cities into “giant parking lots,” where commuters spend an excessive amount of time stuck on roads instead of reaching their destinations.
Chadha highlighted major congestion hotspots across cities, citing Delhi’s Ring Road, Ashram Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and the NH-8 Delhi-Gurgaon stretch. Kolkata’s A.J.C. Bose Road and Chowringhee Road, Bengaluru’s Silk Board Junction and Outer Ring Road, along with Andheri, Bandra, and Fort areas in Mumbai, were also flagged as chronic bottlenecks. “When you are stuck in such places, it feels like a long parking lot,” he said, noting that commuters increasingly work from their cars during prolonged jams.
The MP emphasised that traffic congestion is not merely an inconvenience but a serious economic concern. He cited data showing that the average commuter spends 168 hours annually in Bengaluru, 152 hours in Pune, 126 hours in Mumbai, 110 hours in Kolkata, 104 hours in Delhi, and 100 hours in Chennai, effectively wasting time that could contribute to productivity. Chadha warned that each hour lost in traffic represents a cost to India’s economy.
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Beyond lost time, Chadha pointed to fuel wastage, increased air pollution, and deteriorating quality of life due to stress and frustration. He further noted that congestion is likely to worsen, with approximately 2.5 crore new vehicles registered in India last year, most of them private vehicles adding pressure to urban roads.
Calling for urgent government intervention, Chadha proposed the creation of a National Urban Decongestion Mission to improve public transport, implement smarter traffic management systems, and introduce a scientific parking policy. He also urged the development of a comprehensive action plan specifically targeting congestion in major cities to prevent long-term economic and social impacts.
“If our cities remain stuck in traffic jams, our economy cannot move into the fast lane,” Chadha said, underscoring the link between efficient urban mobility and India’s broader economic growth.
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