Discuss about the Measuring Transport Systems Efficiency Uncertainty.
The burgeoning needs of the public as a result of economic and social development have led to a rise in the demand for transport facilities (Singh S. K., 2012). Taking a close look at New Delhi in India, local transit routes are majorly operated by the government and transport corporations with affiliations to local authorities in providing bus services in metropolitan cities. The transport system in New Delhi is facing pressure due to increased population in the city and intensified the level of industrial and commercial activities (Singh A. , 2016). In one of the studies that were conducted it was revealed that there is an enormous increase of private and intermediate transport facilities due to the limitations associated with the public transport.
Moreover, it has been pointed out that public transportation fails to be complemented with other modes of transport leading to most commuter delays that result in dissatisfaction, poor service delivery, and reduced standards and environmental pollution among other things. Given the above-stated circumstances, the research recommends that public transport must offer efficient services if it is to satisfy and improve customer satisfaction. There is an absolute need for measuring and monitoring the operation of the services that are offered by the transportation agencies in New Delhi due to the ongoing concerns and the attention given to the public transport as part of the urban transport system. Transport agencies need to measure and evaluate their performance with regards to safety, accessibility, service efficiency and financial effectiveness. The best way that transportation agencies can meet the needs and demands of today’s clients is to have a replacement of the Taylor approach with Total Quality Project management (TQM). The implementation of TQM is not always easy and smooth during the transition. However, due to the change in global affairs, transport organizations have to challenge the conventional approaches or risk facing obsolescence.
Many transport agencies still employ the departmentalized Taylor approach, where some employees are tasked with planning improvements, others execute the work, and others inspect the ongoing projects to ascertain whether procedure and specifications are correct. However, with TQM all employees are obligated to improve the quality of the services offered by the organization so that the needs of the customers are met beyond expectations.
Since the promulgation of the metro in 2002, it has gained popularity as the most preferred mode of public transport. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) is mandated and tasked with ensuring planning of the transport system, maintenance of the mode of transport and operating the popular Delhi metro network. (Delhi Metro Corporation, n.d.) The Metro network covers about 215km with approximately 160 stations. It is estimated that about 2.6 million commuters ply with the Metro on a daily basis. The Metro has facilitated connectivity across state jurisdictions. The access to neighboring cities such as Gurgaon and Noida by Metro has seen travel time reduced for those who are residents in such towns but have occupations in Delhi.
Delhi is hailed as the city that has the largest road network in India. Urban planners estimate that the road network occupies approximately 21% of the region in Delhi reducing hopes for future expansion plans. However, Delhi boasts of its modal share as it is highly ranked compared to that of developed nations as only 25% of the estimated individuals in Delhi use private vehicles as the rest use public transport or non-motorize transport.
The growth of private vehicles has been spurred by the priorities given to have the development of better roads and implementation of flyover technology in Delhi in a bid to curb the traffic problem in the city. Another factor contributing to the increase of private vehicles is aspirations by the middle class to own a vehicle. However, compared to the developed countries, the rate of ownership is still in Delhi as only 85 individuals per 1000 people own a vehicle compared to the UK where it is 760 per 1000 individuals.
As a result, the preference of using buses has fallen over the decades. The massive protests from the neighboring regions saw the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) that was established in 2008 collapse making the future appear bleak. It is therefore crucial to identify sectors for prioritizing the bus corridor and make the services offered by buses more convenient, reliable and efficient by reforming the bus program. The use of rationalization of bus routes and the use of IT can help solve some of these challenges.
Intensified competition among various bus operators. Delhi government and DMRC feeder buses are always in competition for passengers on some routes leading to overlapping that leads to traffic related issues (Roy & Anand, 2016). The bus operators indulge themselves in rash driving skipping areas designated for picking passengers thus inconveniencing passengers.
Poor coordination of the oversight authority where the operation and the organization of the transport in Delhi is already highly disorganized (Suzuki, Cervero, & Luchi, 2013). The existence of many stakeholders in transport in Delhi that includes numerous contractors who are only interested in routes that generate better revenues has led to under-servicing of areas occupied by low-income groups.
The increase of modal competition has led to a fall in the preference of the bus due to the poor service delivery and slow speed and many problems associated with the connectivity of the last mile which has made the affluent passengers opt for metro even for short distances (Malhotra, 2017). The modal share of the bus has declined from 60% in 2001 to 42% in 2008 whereas metro’s share stood at 4.1% in the same year.
Delhi is grappling with the challenge of traffic congestion. There is a rise in the number of private vehicles in the city (Singh A. , 2016). Delhi had more than 8.3 million vehicles as of March 2015 an increase from 1981 where the number of vehicles was estimated to be 8.3 million, and the rise is expected to continue shortly. Traffic jams are frequent in Delhi as a result of the increase in the number of privately owned vehicles reducing the preference for buses since the time consumed in boarding a bus is more compared to a privately-owed vehicle due to lack of bus corridors (Mohan, 2016). Consequently, people are now turning to the private mode of transport aggravating more problems of congestion to the city (Kalaga, Datta, & Reddy, 2001). The rise of intermediary public transport such as the rickshaws and cycle rickshaws contribute to more traffic jams in Delhi since it has been noted some of them are unregistered and thus flout the norms associated with traffic and parking (Rondrigue, 2017).
Delhi is one the most polluted cities in the world (Goswami, 2017). Despite the fact that Punjab contributed to the pollution saga as there is burning of agricultural waste from Punjab, the influx of diesel vehicles is also to be blamed (Singh A. , 2016). It is also to be recalled that in the early 2000s, Delhi skies got clouded with smog as a result of industrial effluents and emissions. Consequently, this led to the implementation of a benchmark decision that saw the shift of public road transport network on CNG fuel system (Singh A. , 2016). It is now a custom that all the auto-rickshaws, buses and specific classes of vehicles run on CNG. However, subsidies on diesel have led to the influx of diesel vehicles resulting in high levels of air pollution which has serious effects on the public health.
TQM is a fundamental system that aims at ensuring institution-wide participation during planning and implementation of a continuous process aimed at the improvement that ensures customers’ expectations are exceeded. The concept of total quality control among the Japanese has come to be TQM (Metri, 2006).The U.S. Navy crafted the name Total Quality management in 1985.It is since then that TQM gained popularity and widely used in many organizations specifically the manufacturing industry
Total quality Project Management in urban transport entails focusing on strong commitments aimed at providing quality transport service, encouraging and vouching for learning skill (Metri, 2006). It also entails motivating workers to take pride in their efforts in delivering quality services supports a customer-oriented transport service legacy of continuous improvements that inculcates engagements to meet and exceed customer needs and preferences; green transport system and safety environment among other things.
According to Deming, TQM involves a fourteen-point process in developing an institutional atmosphere where the statistical techniques are effective (Metri, 2006). The 14 points purport to enhance strong management engagements to good quality, process design and continuous search for and eliminating errors related to quality (Metri, 2006). Also, according to Deming, TQM involves embracing a purchasing policy that stresses on quality as opposed to the cost. Further, the TQM model is designed to eliminate all hindrances to employee involvements in teamwork. The models stress the role of effective product design and quality information systems.
Total quality management tools to improve the urban transport in New Delhi
The customer is the most crucial part of the transport service. The needs and demands of the customers are always evolving. It is a blunder to think that services being offered currently can steer the company ahead of the competition (Metri, 2006). It is the role and responsibility of the transport agency to prioritize the customer first by developing a constancy of purpose. The highest priority of the transport agency should be offering the best transportation facilities to its community at the minimum cost possible (Metri, 2006). Thus, the transport agencies in Delhi need to maximize efficiency and effectiveness by making continuous improvements and upgrades. For constant of purpose to be realized, the transportation agency needs to develop a mission statement. The plan-do-check-act (P-D-C-A) cycle permits the statement to adapt to the evolving customers’ demands. Such flexibility provides room for innovation achieved by investing substantial financial resources into research and upgrade of the transport network (Bray, Caggiani, & Ottomanelli, 2015). It is through innovation that new and improved services are generated. For instance, in Delhi, there is need to use vehicles fueled by gas and electricity as this may help in limiting the level of pollution in Delhi. The corporate sector should lobby and vouch for vehicles powered by electricity and gas in Delhi. A major issue is the availability and existence of an extensive network of stations supplying the gas or doing the replacement of discharged batteries with charged ones. The industries in gas and battery business can coordinate their efforts with the automaker industry (Kalaga, Datta, & Reddy, 2001) in providing remedies that can lead to sustained business avenues for themselves.
The current global environment does not allow businesses to survive without the enterprises recognizing and accepting their mistakes and defects within the corporation. Acceptance of poor services and poor performance in workplaces are the impediments to better quality (Metri, 2006). Individuals working in a transport agency can find ways of improving quality and efficiency that they can improve all areas of the transport system. The major achievement of new philosophy is that it creates a continuous learning atmosphere. The main motive behind adopting a new theory is to meet the needs of the people who pay and use the services offered by transport agencies.
The suppliers in transport service operated by uniformity and reliability. The measure of quality defines the value of the price (Metri, 2006). The lack of an adequate measure of quality translates to business drifting to the lowest bidder, low quality and exorbitant cost. Transport agencies should opt for dealers that can avail documented evidence of their quality (Metri, 2006). Since many transport agencies take most of their distributors as partners in their operations, they must rule in favor of joint planning for improvements so that they can serve their customers better than their rivals.
The only way that can ensure that quality is maintained is by continuously conducting evaluations in transport activities to identify areas that need improvements (Metri, 2006). Cooperation and coordination are needed between the transport agencies in Delhi and the consumers of transport services. Improvement is not a one-time affair (Metri, 2006). It is the role of management to continuously identify ways of improving quality and reducing wastage at the same time. An improved transport system not only focuses on attaining the current performance levels but also breaking the existing records of performance levels to new higher levels.
Modal share of Delhi as of 2014 (Source: Report of High Powered Committee on How to Decongest Delhi. 2014)
The demand for transport in Delhi has increased as a result of population pressure as a result of migration from rural, urban migration. The increase in household disposable income, the existence of motorized transport and the increase of activities in both the commercial and industrial sectors have deteriorated the situation. Nevertheless, public transport in Delhi has failed to support and keep pace with the evolving travel needs of the public. The services associated with a Public transport based on rail and bus are limited in few cities.
Qualitatively, public transport services are overwhelmed this is the case more so during peak hours and involve delays due to the long waiting hours. Nevertheless, there is a massive transfer of people preferring private transport facilities specifically the cars and the two-wheelers, not forgetting the proliferation of other modes of intermediate public transport such as taxis and auto-rickshaws. Conventionally, transport agencies have been slow in employing the modern quality tools and techniques. However, due to agreements from an institution such as the World Trade Organization, in future, due to intensified competition, there will be demand for delivery of quality services in the transport industry is a powerful tool for improving quality. Adoption of TQM is crucial for helping organizations thrive and survive in a competitive transport market.
The report is part of the larger project, and the proposal so far has covered essential components of the overall project as the literature review and relevant theories covering urban transport have been covered extensively. The remaining areas to be covered are data analysis and collection and the recommendation and conclusion part.
Challenges as part of the report are unavoidable, and one of the significant obstacles in this report was the issue of data. Most of the data covering the area of urban transport are either missing or lacking. Also, some of the information is irrelevant to the topic, and thus other methods of data collection and gathering need to be employed. There is need to provide detailed information in the area of urban transport, and there is more room for research in this area specifically for a city such as Delhi.
References
Bray, S., Caggiani, L., & Ottomanelli, M. (2015). Measuring Transport Systems Efficiency Under Uncertainty by Fuzzy Sets Theory Based Data Envelopment Analysis: Theoretical and Practical Comparison with Traditional DEA Model. Elsevier, 186-200.
Delhi Metro Corporation. (n.d.). Over Two Million (20 lakh) Passengers Travel by Delhi Metro on the eve of Rakshabandhan, sets landmark by surpassing the figure which was targeted for December 2011. Retrieved from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd: https://www.delhimetrorail.com/press_reldetails.aspx?id=D56csDWRltIlld
Goswami, S. (2017, April 5). Unsafe roads, poor public transport, toxic air make Delhi a ‘not so smart’ city. Retrieved from hindustantimes: https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/unsafe-roads-poor-public-transport-toxic-air-make-delhi-a-not-so-smart-city/story-D6gUmyrKOTTCCkbgQafT6H.html
Kalaga, R. R., Datta, R. N., & Reddy, K. S. (2001). Allocation of Buses on Interdependent Regional Bus Transit Route. Allocation of Buses on Interdependent Regional Bus Transit Route.
Malhotra, A. (2017, December 11). Can the Affluent Be Convinced to Ride Transit in Delhi? Retrieved from Citylab: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/12/can-the-affluent-be-convinced-to-ride-transit-in-delhi/547775/
Metri, B. A. (2006). Total Quality Transportation. Journal of Public Transportation, 32-38. Retrieved from Total Quality Transportation.
Mohan, D. (2016). Powerful Lobbies Want Delhi’s BRT Scrapped. Here’s Why They Should Not Succeed. Retrieved from The Wire: https://thewire.in/health/powerful-lobbies-want-delhis-brt-scrapped-heres-why-they-should-not-succeed
Rondrigue, J.-P. (2017). The Geography of Transport Systems. New york: Routledge.
Roy, S., & Anand, J. (2016, February 11). Delhi’s public transport: Last-mile connectivity continues to be a problem. Retrieved from The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhis-public-transport-lastmile-connectivity-continues-to-be-a-problem/article8220965.ece
Singh, A. (2016, October 19). Delhi’s Urban Transportation System – Challenges Galore. Retrieved from Iglus.org: https://iglus.org/delhis-urban-transportation-system-challenges-galore/
Singh, S. K. (2012). Urban Tranport in India:Issues,challenges, and the way forward. European Transport, 1-25.
Suzuki, H., Cervero, R., & Luchi, K. (2013). Introduction: Critical Challenges Facing Cities and Urban Transport. Journal of Transport, 25-48.
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