One way and Car idling

One-way Chamiers fuel-saver for city
MTC’s Costs Dip By Rs 17,000 Daily As Buses Idle Less On Road, Ripple Effect For Others
Jayaraj Sivan | TNN

Chennai: Innovative traffic management in a city where nearly 800 vehicles are being added every day is bringing unexpected benefits. Turning one of Chennai’s most busy roads into a single lane has not just eased the flow of traffic considerably, it is also helping conserve fuel.
The state-run Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), for one, has saved Rs 17,000 a day on fuel ever since Chamiers Road became oneway from August 1. That’s because its buses no longer idle for interminable periods on the route from Park Sheraton Hotel to Nandanam signal. Fuel savings are estimated to touch Rs 62 lakh per annum due to this one change alone, thus making MTC the single biggest beneficiary of the single-laning system.
MTC field staff have estimated that vehicles plying from Park Sheraton hotel to Nandanam signal, a distance of roughly one km, now save on an average 13 minutes per trip. “Despite an increase in distance after the introduction of the one-way, travelling time has reduced to seven minutes,” said additional commissioner of police (traffic), Sunil Kumar.
The savings on time, when translated into fuel, works out to 1.6 litres of diesel per vehicle per trip during peak hours. MTC operates 40 bus routes and 400 trips per day along this stretch. “We have got feedback from MTC officials that they save up to 480 litres of diesel per day owing to the traffic regulation,” Sunil Kumar said. That ‘s a neat Rs 62 lakh per annum. And taking into account the 60,000 other vehicles that ply along this route during peak hours – three hours each in the morning and evening — it works out to a saving of Rs 25 crore per annum on fuel. ROAD SENSE
Vehicles that idle for three minutes with AC on burn fuel required for travelling 1 km. Smaller cars burn Rs 2 per minute, bigger vehicles Rs 3
Motorist stuck in traffic signal for more than 20 seconds should switch off the engine. Apart from saving fuel, it would also help reduce pollution
In case the waiting time is less than 20 seconds, it is advisable to keep the engine on as it would increase the life of battery, self-starter and switch Idling for 3 mins burns fuel required for travelling 1 km
Chennai: Automobile experts have estimated that a vehicle that idles for three minutes with the air-conditioner on, burns fuel required for travelling one km. In the case of smaller vehicles like Santro Xing, i10 and Zen, it would work out to roughly 100 ml of petrol or Rs 2 per minute. Bigger cars, multi utility vehicles or sports utility vehicles with lesser mileage — seven to eight km per litre — would be burning more fuel. In the case of buses and lorries which get a mileage of hardly four km per litre of diesel, the cost of idling works out to Rs 3 per minute.
Ideally, a motorist stuck at a traffic signal for more than 20 seconds should switch off the engine. Apart from saving on fuel, it would also help reduce air pollution. In case the waiting time is less than 20 seconds, it is advisable to keep the engine on as it would increase the life of the battery, self-starter and switch. Here, a pertinent question that arises is what option does a motorist have if vehicles are moving, but only at snail’s pace? The answer is, while travelling on first gear, the vehicle consumes more petrol than while idling.
“Under the given circumstances, one-ways are the only solution to prevent protracted idling and slow movement of traffic,” noted Sunil Kumar. He said the modifications at Nandanam are still not complete. “Chennai Corporation is yet to complete some civil works. In a matter of 10 days, the system would be still better,” he said.
Vehicle users who use the Nandanam signal route too vouch for this. “The waiting time for vehicles at Nandanam signal has reduced considerably in the last one week,” observed G Shankar, a bank employee.
“We have saved 40 seconds – out of the total signal cycle of 180 seconds – by blocking movement of vehicles to three directions at Nandanam signal. It helped us provide more time for the vehicles moving along Anna Salai and those coming to Nandanam from T Nagar,” pointed out Sunil Kumar.
jayaraj.sivan@timesgroup.com


A BURNING ISSUE: Smaller vehicles like Santro, i10 and Zing can save 100 ml of petrol or Rs 2 per min by not idling at traffic signals
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New Delhi: At a time when oil is the most precious commodity in our planet, fuel worth Rs 1,000crore is wasted every year in Delhi by vehicles idling at its 600 traffic signals.
If all drivers were to switch off their engines wherever the stoppage time exceeds 14 seconds — which would hold for, perhaps, all signals — the country would be richer by that amount, not to speak of cleaner air in the city.
This startling fact was revealed by a Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) study. The study says 98% of the drivers in the city don’t switch off their vehicles at the signals, irrespective of the stoppage time. With fuel prices soaring and more than 950 vehicles getting added to Delhi’s roads daily, this wastage is only going up.
Back of the envelope calculations show that each vehicle owner in the city can save over Rs 3,100 annually just by ensuring that his or her car is switched off at every red light that lasts for more than 14 seconds.
‘‘The survey results clearly indicate that at the 600 intersections in Delhi, 0.37 million kg of CNG, 0.13 million litres of diesel and 0.41 million litres of petrol are burned up everyday due to idling of engines. Converting these figures into monetary terms, based on fuel prices in October 2005, the losses work out to about Rs 2.72 crore daily.
As fuel prices and congestion levels have increased in the last three years, the losses would have only gone up,’’ said Purnima Parida, scientist at CRRI’s traffic and transportation division.
UP IN SMOKE
994 cr is the annual fuel loss due to idling vehicles
42 lakh vehicles in Delhi as of 2004
600 signalized intersections in the city
250 rupees saved every month if a driver switches off ignition at signals of more than 14-sec waiting time

Source : Times of India - Chennai - 11.08.2008