Yesterday, Autoblog covered this topic and of course, the prospect of 1 billion cars by 2020 is a happy one as it means that more and more families will own a car even in South Asia. Well, the signs are already there. Growing sales of cars is becoming a common factor in every South Asian country including India and Pakistan. Right now it is considered that there are 800 million cars in the world. South Asia will contribute immensely in the addition 200 million cars in the next 14 years. What are the impacts on economy and environment?
More cars mean more mobility for the ordinary people and thus it will help to boost productivity in the cities and villages- no doubt about it. However, the main problem in South Asia is that the major cities are already over congested with cars. I am from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and traffic jam is a huge problem of every day lie. As far as I can see in the South Asian media, the condition of Delhi, Mumbai and Karachi are not rosy either. New cars new roads and in all the major South Asian cities every meter of has been used already and it is very difficult to find new land for constructing roads and garages.
What is the solution? The only solution that I can think of is to construct new highways. But more than that the governments in South Asian countries will must learn to decentralize their activities and spread their organizations in different cities instead of centralizing everything in the capital city or in large cities. Lastly, I would strongly advice the decision makers of every South Asian country to develop a strict habit of urban planning. Otherwise, in 2020, with too many cars, most of the South Asian cities will become just like wastelands.
Don't you agree with me?
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