Deepanshu
ICICI Bank Ltd., Hyderabad, India.
Abstract
The exponential growth of privately owned vehicles in urban India has led to alarming levels of air pollution, traffic congestion, and energy consumption. This research investigates the viability of car-sharing as a sustainable mobility alternative to private vehicle ownership, focusing on Delhi, one of India’s most polluted and densely populated cities. Drawing exclusively from empirical data and modeling presented in the original study, the paper employs a two-pronged methodology: linear regression analysis to estimate car sharing (CS) adoption and COPERT5.5 software to quantify vehicular CO2 emissions and energy consumption.
The study reveals that substituting seven privately owned vehicles with one shared vehicle can significantly reduce environmental burdens. Between 2014 and 2018, carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles dropped by 8.57% to 25.71%. Energy consumption trends mirrored CO2 emission reductions, indicating economic and ecological benefits.
The demographic and infrastructural characteristics of Delhi, combined with comparative data from European cities, underscore the potential for scalable CS systems, as a Mobility-as-a-Service model (MaaS), in India. The findings advocate for policy interventions, public awareness campaigns, and integration of electric vehicles into shared fleets to enhance sustainability.
This paper contributes to the discourse on urban mobility by demonstrating the tangible benefits of CS in mitigating climate change and promoting efficient transportation. The implications extend beyond Delhi, offering a replicable model for other metropolitan regions grappling with similar challenges.
Keywords: Car-sharing; Sustainable mobility; Traffic congestion; Vehicular CO2 emissions; COPERT5.5; MaaS; Delhi; Climate change
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