Imagining a post-COVID-19 World
“I can hear the birds sing again”, “The roads are so free of traffic”, “The air is so much clearer”
Amidst the chaos and panic caused by COVID-19, there have been some extremely positive side effects as well. The battle against the unknown virus wages furiously and there is every hope that life would be back to normal soon. But how much of the normal do we really want?
A trip to the mall? Sure
A 40 min drive to cover a 5 km distance? Not so much
Once we come out of this crisis, what can we do to make some of these side-effects permanent? Here are some thoughts:
1. Toll booths with staggered rates on every road:
If there is one thing that COVID-19 has taught us, it is that we don’t need to be on the roads as much as we thought. But how can we remember this lesson once the crisis is over. How about this? Install a toll booth on every main road (and I mean, EVERY MAIN ROAD). Charge a toll that is based on the number of passengers in the car: Four or more people in the car? INR 50/-; three in the car? INR 100/-; two in the car? INR 150/-; Just one in the car? INR 200/-
If you have to drive 10 kms to reach your workplace everyday and have to pass through 5 different main roads, you end up paying INR 1000/- one way if you are in a single person car. That would make people think whether they really need to go to work in a car all by themselves instead of car-pooling, or better still, working from home
2. A honk-meter in each car
Ever honked indiscriminately while driving? Well, how would you feel if there is a mandatory honk-meter in your car which is connected to your back account. INR 10/- discounted every time you honk. On a 10km drive in the city, you could be paying a thousand bucks. Surely, that would make you think twice before honking the next time.
3. Limited Parking spaces in offices with mandatory charges
Mandate that there cannot be more than 35% parking capacity for any office, along with an hourly parking rate. You either come early to office to find a parking space, but end up paying a higher parking fee or you find a way to take public transport.
4. Compulsory work-from-home rules for certain industries
Many industries have now realized that work-from-home is a viable option. Make this mandatory for workers with clear directions that a person may not work from office for more than 3 days a week in industries and roles where work-from-home is possible. That will ensure less cars on the roads, especially combined with the other recommendations
5. Make carbon footprint declarations from employee travel mandatory
Make it compulsory for employers to declare the carbon footprint caused by their employers driving to work. Put a cap on how much each company is allowed and include stringent fines for going above the cap.
What else can we do to keep listening to the sounds of birds and enjoying the clear air of traffic-less roads in our cities?