Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Investment Project
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Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Investment Project (RRP IND 51073) JAPAN FUND FOR POVERTY REDUCTION GRANT I. INTRODUCTION 1. The proposed Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Investment Project will finance the first of three prioritized rail corridors of the planned regional rapid transit system (RRTS) network in the country’s National Capital Region (NCR). The Delhi–Meerut RRTS will pass through the densely populated sections of the NCR, connecting Delhi to Meerut via Ghaziabad with safe, reliable, and high-capacity commuter transit services. With a design speed of 180 kilometers (km) per hour and high-frequency operations of every 5–10 minutes, this 82-km corridor is expected to substantially reduce journey times by approximately 2–3 hours. The investment project will finance rail tracks, signaling, station buildings, and maintenance facilities. It will also support capacity and institutional development of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), a joint venture company of the Government of India and the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, which is mandated to implement the RRTS project across the NCR.1 2. The investment project is aligned with the following impact: urban mobility in the NCR improved. 2 The investment project will have the following outcome: efficiency, safety, social inclusiveness, and environmental sustainability of transport in the Delhi–Meerut RRTS corridor improved. 3. The proposed grant to be provided by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction aims to ensure that the improved mobility and economic opportunities resulting from the RRTS will benefit women and differently abled groups in the urban areas of Uttar Pradesh along the corridor. II. THE GRANT A. Rationale 4. Uttar Pradesh. The proposed RRTS will operate across two states—the National Capital Territory of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, comprising four major districts (East Delhi, Ghaziabad, Meerut, and South Delhi). Out of the 24 proposed RRTS stations, 21 will be in Uttar Pradesh— among the few states in India which has a substantively higher proportion of urban poverty (37%) than in rural areas (29%).3 The incidence of unemployment among female graduates in the state (14.7%) is double the national average (7.3%). Ghaziabad station, located in Uttar Pradesh, will be a multimodal station along the RRTS, with connection to the Delhi Metro line 7 and a major bus terminal. However, as per the 2011 census, 20% of Ghaziabad city’s population resides in informal settlements, with 153,000 women. The main challenges of Uttar Pradesh in addressing poverty and achieving inclusive growth are expanding economic opportunities for employment and ensuring that poor and marginalized groups have equal access to these opportunities.4 5. Women’s travel. While there are limited data currently available on women’s travel patterns and perceptions along the future RRTS corridors, focus group discussions conducted with women revealed that autorickshaws are crowded, and women face harassment from male passengers and drivers. The women participants preferred e-rickshaws over other modes of 1 The National Capital Region Transport Corporation was incorporated on 1 August 2013. 2 Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. 2006. National Urban Transport Policy. New Delhi. 3 Eight RRTS stations in Uttar Pradesh will share the infrastructure with the Meerut Metro, allowing passengers seamless transfer between the RRTS and the Meerut Metro. 4 Mamgain, R.P., and Verick, S. 2017. The State of Employment in Uttar Pradesh: Unleashing the potential of inclusive growth. Geneva: International Labour Organization. 2 transport as they are porous vehicles with limited scope for overcrowding. The discussions also highlighted the importance of first- and last-mile connectivity to the RRTS stations as a key concern for using the system. This was also iterated in interviews with women’s groups and development organizations, suggesting an opportunity for increasing women’s representation in the transport sector to provide safer commuting for women. 6. Public toilets. The lack of adequate facilities such as hygienic public toilets also restricts the movement and productivity of women and girls, and affects their ability to participate in public life. A study conducted by ActionAid India in 2017 showed that 35% of 229 surveyed public toilets in Delhi did not have a separate section for women, an additional 53% of women’s toilets did not have running water, and 45% of toilets did not have a mechanism to lock the door from the inside.5 Women with disabilities face additional disadvantages as most toilets do not ensure accessibility, safety, privacy, or accommodate other special needs. Transgender people, although a relatively smaller group, remain marginalized and outside mainstream development, and often face verbal abuse and physical and sexual assault because of the lack of gender-neutral toilets. 6 7. Differently abled travelers. About 3.3% of the urban population in Ghaziabad and 1.9% of the urban population in Meerut are differently abled, compared to the national average of 2.2%.7 The World Bank estimates the national figure to be 40–80 million.8 People with hearing, visual, and mobility impairments constitute 65% of all the differently abled people in the urban areas of Ghaziabad, and 56% in Meerut. According to the World Health Organization, only 10% of differently abled people have access to assistive aids, thereby limiting their mobility.9 8. Interviews with nongovernment organizations like the Equal Opportunity Cell at Delhi University, Samarthyam, and Vaani School revealed that in addition to inaccessible streets and transport vehicles, the behavior of transport service providers is one of the biggest obstacles in accessing public transport.10 The commute could be more comfortable with empathetic service providers. Encouraging women to be mobility service providers not only improves their employment prospects but also improves the perception and experience of safer transportation options. Providing gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) training to public transport providers could also help improve urban mobility for women and differently abled people. 9. Initiatives by the Government of India. The Government of India is continuing its efforts to reduce poverty through various programs and policies of employment generation, education, and infrastructure development, including railways and regional connectivity corridors. Poverty reduction is the key focus of the government’s Three-Year Action Agenda, 2017–18 to 2019–20 with a target to reduce poverty incidence by 10%. Apart from this, the government has introduced 5 Actionaid India. 2017. Public Toilets in Delhi: A Status Report. New Delhi. 6 ADB. 2018. Country Assistance Program Evaluation: ADB support for gender equality in India. New Delhi. 28% of the 0.48 million transgender people in India are in Uttar Pradesh. 7 Government of India, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. 2011. Census: Population Enumeration Data. New Delhi. 8 World Bank. 20017. People with disabilities in India: From Commitments to Outcomes. World Bank South Asia Region. 9 World Health Organization. 2018. Improving access to assistive technology: Report by the Director-General. Seventy-first World Health Assembly, Geneva, 21–26 May 2018. Provisional agenda item 12.5. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018 (A71/21; http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA71/A71_21-en.pdf, accessed 25 June 2019). 10 The Equal Opportunity Cell at Delhi University offers comprehensive services support to students with disabilities. Samarthyam: National Center for Accessible Environments is a civil society and research organization whose goal is to promote the understanding and implementation of accessibility of the sustainable built, social, and virtual environments. Vaani School is a registered school for differently abled students in Uttar Pradesh. 3 various schemes, policies, and acts to improve sanitation and promote safe mobility for women, girls, and differently abled people. These include the Swachh Bharat Mission; Nirbhaya Fund; National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, 2006; the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016; and the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The proposed grant will build on the existing programs with a targeted focus toward vulnerable groups along the RRTS corridor. 10. Strategic fit. The grant supports the Sustainable Development Goal 11.2, which focuses on “providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, differently abled and older persons.” The grant is in line with the country partnership strategy, 2018–2022 of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for India and its emphasis on supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment across sectors, and is included in ADB’s country operations business plan, 2020–2022 for India.11 11. Lessons. ADB has supported the urban transport subsector in India by promoting policy and strategy aspects that are in line with India’s National Urban Transport Policy. ADB has assisted two urban transport projects in India—the Jaipur Metro Rail Line 1 Phase B Project and the Mumbai Metro Rail Systems Project.12 In both projects, various features for ensuring safe travel for women and differently abled people were incorporated