Aizawl’s uphill transport needs

Moving around the hilltop city of Aizawl in north east India is literally an uphill struggle. The city's 0.4M population live and work in communities that are spread over nine hills, which range in height between about 121m and 1386m above sea level.

Narrow winding roads, large volumes of freight transport, a high-altitude location and climate and the risk of landslides all mean that Aizawl needs a multi-dimensional transport strategy to meet its current and future needs.

Delivering mobility solutions

Our aim of the Aizawl Sustainable Urban Transport Project is to develop a comprehensive mobility plan to support rapid urbanisation in the city and the surrounding area with a long-term horizon of 20 years. We are also carrying out feasibility studies for projects to be implemented over the next five years.

The project is being implemented by the Government of Mizoram's Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Department through assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

As project design management consultant, we have identified priority investments to tackle mobility issues caused by the hilly terrain and congestion in Aizawl, which is a trading hub for goods with nearby Bangladesh and Myanmar.

We are also carrying out due diligence for a pipeline of investment-ready projects, including procurement plans and bids, as well as training officials to build capacity in sustainable transport planning.

Design and engineering innovation

The starting point for the two-and-a-half-year project, which began in January 2022, was to review all the city’s modes of transport and collect data on problem issues, such as congestion, road safety, air pollution and the inefficient movement of people and goods.

A variety of indicators were used to assess the flow of people and goods through the city and to develop a range of proposals for changing land use and improving access to work and education, which are cost effective, equitable and environmentally friendly.

This included promoting walking and creating dedicated pedestrian footpaths wherever possible along the side of roads. The development of a new road corridor to effectively link the existing eastern and western bypass to the city has also been proposed.

Road widening is difficult as there is no legal right to use the land at the roadside, so the project team drew on national and global examples of innovation in urban mobility to find potential solutions for Aizawl.

This included a public escalator and lift system used in the US, but never in India, and an aerial tramway on rope, known as a ropeway, which has been used at tourist destinations in India but never as a public transport solution. These options aim to reduce the number of pedestrians on the road with minimal disturbance to the natural ecosystem.

Climate experts have also been focused on designing climate-resilient infrastructure that can withstand high-altitude conditions, and conserving trees and vegetation to prevent landslides.

Community engagement

One of the critical elements of the project was to encourage participation by local people in surveys to gather data on the city’s mobility needs and challenges as well as ensuring community engagement in the stakeholder consultation process. For example, one of the social goals of the project is to minimise the need for resettlement of the population and disruption to society.

Four members of the local community have joined the 30-strong project team and have taken a lead in establishing contact with local people, keeping them informed about project activities and incorporating feedback and suggestions.

All stakeholders welcomed the proposals in our draft mobility plan in April 2023, which includes immediate projects as well as a range of medium- to long-term options for meeting the mobility needs of the city. The report has generated a lot of interest from local people in understanding what the city will look like in 20 years and the prospect for more industry and better job opportunities.

Building on this positive community engagement will be a huge advantage during the implementation phase of the project and will help to deliver the government’s objective of accelerating economic growth in Aizawl and the wider region.