Urban Transport Infrastructure November 2018 Urban Transport Infra November 2018 | Page 54

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remotely monitored from a mobile
phone app. Even seemingly small-
scale developments like these can add
up to big impacts. By converting all
of the quarter-million auto-rickshaws
in India to electric power, the country
could eliminate more than two
million tons of carbon emissions per
day. The gains would be far greater
still if the same were done for all of
India’s fossil-fuel-powered scooters.
As underscored by the NITI
Aayog report, even as rapid
urbanization has increased car
ownership, a great majority of
Indians still rely on non-motorized
travel and public transportation.
This circumstance actually simplifies
the task of modernizing the transport
sector in India, as less investment is
tied up in soon-to-be-outmoded
systems. For example, India is ripe
for new investment in advanced
technologies such as all-electric buses.
The latest models of these e-buses can
be recharged at bus stops as the
passengers are boarding - an
approach developed that can extend
the range, size and reliability of the
vehicles, while reducing congestion
and pollution. Innovations such as
these are rapidly expanding the
potential of e-mobility, even for the
largest and heaviest vehicles on the
road.
India can do it
In the area of mass transit, the
Delhi Metro, of which Phase III will
soon be completed, serves as a
national benchmark for on-time
project execution and efficiency.
With 213 kilometers of track and 148
stations
along
elevated
and
underground sections, it is the largest
metro network in the country. As it
happens, it also uses an advanced
digital technology - supervisory
control and data acquisition, or
SCADA,- to gather and analyze real-
time data about its power system.
The SCADA system monitors and
controls the network, connecting the
metro’s substations to central and
backup control centers. The resulting
efficiency of the Delhi Metro is such
that the United Nations certified it as
the first metro system in the world to
qualify for carbon credits under the
UN’s Clean Development Mechanism.
The same technology now appears in
Bangalore’s new metro system.
For India to benefit fully from the
advantages of e-mobility, the country
must enhance its technological
WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM
capability to connect all modes of
public transportation and automate
data collection. The nation has
already laid the foundation for the
transition
to
e-mobility
with
initiatives like the National Electric
Mobility Mission Plan 2020 and the
Faster Adoption and Manufacturing
of (Hybrid) Electric Vehicles in India
(FAME India). The government has
also cut taxes on the lithium-ion
batteries required by electric vehicles.
These policies will promote the
adoption of e-mobility by reducing
costs,
establishing
charging
infrastructure
and
incentivizing
technology suppliers.
Forging connections
Yet more needs to be done.
Increased internet bandwidth and
connectivity have a part to play in
India’s
transformation.
Cloud
computing and the Internet of Things
are a necessary prerequisite for
modern transport systems. For
example, cloud-connected EV fast-
charging stations, among others,
make it possible for travelers to easily
locate the closest available charging
station. For the stations operators,
the use of advanced connected
solutions enables them to create
robust charging networks that can
help them perform key functions such
as remote monitoring, servicing and
billing. It can even improve grid
stability by automatically balancing
how much power a station is drawing
with how much is currently available.
By
proactively
embracing
innovative solutions like these, India
will soon occupy a place of major
importance at the forefront of
transport technology. The time to
promote and implement these
changes is now. All Indians stand to
benefit.
***
The opinions expressed in this column
are that of the writer. The facts and
opinions expressed here do not reflect
the views of editorial team of Urban
Transport News/Urban Transport
Infrastructure Magazine.
ET
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GABS’18
GLOBAL
AUTO
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Suresh Prabhu
Minister of Commerce,
Industry & Civil Aviation
Govt. of India
Anant Geete
Minister of Heavy Industries
& Public Enterprises
Govt. of India
29 Nov. 2018
Hyatt Regency
New Delhi
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Urban Transport Infrastructure | November 2018