Directions: Study the following information carefully and answer the question given below.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
As metropolitan centers in developing economies grapple with crippling vehicular gridlock, degrading ambient air quality, and catastrophic road fatalities, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has emerged as an essential urban planning paradigm. Classical automobile-centric urban design generated extensive suburban sprawl, segregating residential districts from commercial hubs and forcing millions into protracted, carbon-intensive motorized commutes. TOD reverses this paradigm by concentrating high-density, mixed-use commercial and residential developments within a comfortable five-to-ten-minute walking catchment of mass transit nodes.
In India, the National Transit Oriented Development Policy promotes integrated multi-modal mobility hubs where metro rail networks, bus rapid transit systems, and non-motorized transport routes converge seamlessly. A crucial catalyst in this integration is the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), an interoperable contactless smart card enabling friction-free fare payments across trains, buses, and metro corridors. Nevertheless, operational implementation faces formidable bottlenecks. Municipal authorities frequently prioritize capital-heavy infrastructure while neglecting pedestrian footpaths, cycling tracks, and last-mile electric feeder connectivity. Without safe, shaded non-motorized transport infrastructure and strict enforcement against sidewalk encroachments, commuters inevitably default to private motorized transport, undermining the transformative potential of TOD.
According to the passage, why do commuters often abandon public transit and default to private motor vehicles despite metro investments?
💡 Solution & Explanation:
Correct Answer: (C)
Core Concept: Reading Comprehension — Implementation Deficit
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Paragraph 2 highlights: 'Without safe, shaded non-motorized transport infrastructure and strict enforcement against sidewalk encroachments, commuters inevitably default to private motorized transport...'
2. This matches option (A) accurately.
Key Shortcut / Exam Tip: Neglect of footpaths and last-mile feeders causes commuters to default to private vehicles.