System Dynamics for Enhancing Urban Mobility in India: Solution for Traffic Congestion and Carbon Emissions

Abstract

Globally at present India is the fastest-growing major economy. The rapid growth in population, the surge in vehicular traffic, and the establishment of small-scale industries all contributed to a deteriorating environmental situation. Indian urban transportation systems are inherently complex, influenced by numerous variables, nonlinear feedback loops, and factors spanning transportation, society, economy, and the environment. Traditional modeling methods fall short in accurately simulating and evaluating their performance. This paper introduces a System Dynamics (SD) approach based on cause-and-effect relationships and feedback loop structures. The model incorporates seven sub models: total population, economic development, vehicle ownership, environmental impacts, travel demand, transportation supply, and traffic congestion. Developed model help to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions, also the model explores the impacts of policy implementations on vehicle ownership as a control variable. Simulations of various policy scenarios reveal that restricting the total number of vehicles is critical for improving the sustainability of India’s urban transportation system.