Report on Auroville Mobility Survey 2016 Introduction In 2015 a mobility task group was set up with members from the Working Committee, Auroville Council and others. The group had several meetings and came up with a list of suggestions to organize traffic within Auroville, which was published in May 2016 in the N&N #649. Over time, other ideas have been added to this list. The Working Committee and Auroville Council wanted to know how the community responds to some or more of these suggestions, so that we can request the relevant working groups to start planning to manifest the suggestion(s) and propose how funds can be made available. The survey was done from July 15th to 29th and 235 residents replied. All answers given to all suggestions and questions were compiled on another document: AV Mobility 2016 all answers. Suggestion 1 - A fleet of non- polluting mini buses should be acquired and their routes be defined. The mini buses should regularly circulate within Auroville. I agree with the suggestion: 114 / 59% I would make use of the bus service: 79 / 41% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 1: Pave roads first; dust problem; buses too big for existing roads. Concern about the routes: will it also serve my community? Expensive: too few people yet in Auroville to use it fully. Will not fully replace private transport. Will increase traffic in Auroville.
Suggestion 2 - There should be a regular bus service to Pondicherry, and its routes to be defined. I agree with the suggestion: 120 / 59% I would make use of the bus service: 84 / 41% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 2: Don t we already have such a service? Increase timings of existing one. Reasonable price. Suggestion 3 - Auroville should acquire and operate a fleet of electric rickshaws which can be called on demand and bring someone from the house to the destination. I agree with the suggestion: 125 / 70% I would make use of the bus service: 53 / 30%
Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 3: How to avoid confrontation with existing rickshaw drivers from outside? Respondents expect to have low prices for this service. Useful for senior residents, for shopping and for visitors. What to do with the used batteries? Suggestion 4 - Auroville should acquire a fleet of electric carts to bring visitors from the Visitors Centre to the Matrimandir and back to replace the present diesel buses. I agree with the suggestion: 170 / 97% I would make use of this service: 5 / 3% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 4: Visitors should walk and enjoy the environment. Suggestion 5.1 - Auroville should help Auroville (motor) bike renters to invest in purchasing electric bikes and motorbikes and sell- off their present fleet of petrol motorbikes so that only cycles, electric cycles and motorbikes will be rented out by Auroville to guests. I agree with the suggestion: 121 / 69% I would reduce using my petrol motorbike inside Auroville when a public transport facility is provided: 54 / 31%
Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 5.1: Great idea, but: expensive to maintain the e- bikes. E- bikes aren t very reliable. Small motorbikes may be less polluting than e- bikes (batteries). Charging can be a challenge if not enough charging points or no electricity from network. Suggestion 5.2 - Auroville should help Aurovilians to acquire electric bikes or motorbikes, e.g. by offering loans. I agree with the suggestion: 83 / 55% I would like to buy an electric cycle for circulation within Auroville: 18 / 12% I would like to buy an electric motorbike for circulation within Auroville: 24 / 16% I would replace my petrol motorbike with an electric motorbike: 26 / 17% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 5.2: Excellent idea, but lack of infrastructure E- bikes aren t reliable and eco- friendly
Suggestion: a pick- up and drop electric bike/ cycle system - like in Europe already Suggestion 6 - Aurovilians should be stimulated not to use their petrol / diesel cars inside Auroville and use only either electric cars or the public facility that will soon be provided. I agree with this suggestion: 125 / 72% I would reduce using my petrol/diesel car inside Auroville when the public facility is provided: 48 / 28% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 6: Existing e- cars aren t comfortable, reliable, nor cheap. How would the stimulation work? How can the suggestion reduce the traffic from outside (visitors and taxi service)?
Suggestion 7 - In order to limit the number of cars coming into Auroville, a system of paid car stickers is proposed to be implemented. Year stickers would be available to all Aurovilians and Newcomers who own a petrol/diesel car and to operators of Auroville taxi services. All other traffic would get a regular pass (e.g. for building traffic and service traffic such as courier services) or a day pass (for example visitors to Auroville units and small trucks or rickshaws bringing goods to Aurovilians), as required. Regular passes would also be issued to non- Aurovilians who own or have leased land within the city area, so that they can access their land. Police vehicles, ambulances, fire- engines and all electric or alternate energy four- wheelers will be admitted without stickers. I agree with this suggestion: 113 / 71% I propose that a charge is levied on each sticker: 47 / 29% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 7: How to implement? Checkpoints would have to be improved. How not to turn Auroville into a gated community? Majority agrees, if fees would be reasonable.
Suggestion 8 - Together with the implementation of suggestions 1 and 7, a secondary parking lot is proposed at the Certitude check- post, similar to the one at the Visitors Centre, to allow visitors to park their four- wheelers and avail of Auroville s public mobility facilities which will be provided. I agree with this suggestion: 160 / 83% I don t agree: 33 / 17% Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 8: Parking zone would have to be very well organized to avoid a chaotic situation. Where would be the best location for this parking area? Should it also be used by Aurovilians? Suggestion 9 - Together with the implementation of suggestion 7, it is proposed that new check posts are erected at various places, which are yet to be identified. I agree with the suggestion: 158 / 87% I don t agree: 23 / 13%
Resume of the main comments made to Suggestion 9: More checkpoints could create ill- will towards Auroville. More checkpoints are welcome / necessary. Question 1 - Are you satisfied with the existing cycle / pedestrian path infrastructure? Yes: 110 / 57% No: 83 / 43% Resume of the main comments made to Question 1: The existing system should be improved, especially for pedestrians. It s fine, but not safe. A path between Certitude and Solar Kitchen should be built. Paths should be paved, specially for the monsoon season.
Question 2 - Do you have any other suggestions or ideas to improve our Mobility? Please elaborate. Resume of the main comments made to Question 2: Implement a common car sharing system. Safety must be improved on the roads. Increase ecofriendly vehicles; decrease the number of large vehicles. Build parking spaces for Aurovilians with cars at different entrances. Accessibility for handicapped people must be improved.