A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore, India

The SAVi assessment of Coimbatore's NMT plan, which involves 300 km of routes to be implemented by 2035, demonstrates that the project is highly profitable from a societal perspective. While a conventional benefit-cost ratio (BCR) suggests the project is not economically viable (0.47 to 0.50), the sustainable benefit-cost ratio (S-BCR), which includes externalities, ranges from 4.75 to 4.93. The largest individual benefit is the avoided cost of traffic accidents, valued at INR 30,144 million. Other significant gains include health benefits from physical activity and reduced fuel costs, although these are partially offset by the health costs of increased air pollution exposure for cyclists.

• The NMT network in Coimbatore is projected to be highly profitable from a societal and macroeconomic perspective, with cumulative discounted net benefits ranging from INR 37,104 million (low estimate) to INR 38,911 million (high estimate) over a 23-year period (2022–2045).
• There is a stark difference between conventional and sustainable valuations: the conventional BCR (considering only tangible costs and fuel/road maintenance savings) is 0.47 to 0.50, whereas the S-BCR (including all social and environmental externalities) is 4.75 to 4.93.
• The most significant individual financial benefit of the NMT network is the reduction in traffic accident costs, valued at INR 30,144 million.
• The NMT plan identifies 300 km of routes to be completed by 2035, with total investment costs of INR 9,895 million. It is expected to benefit approximately 1 million people (60% of the population) and reduce passenger transport CO2 emissions by up to 13%.
• Health benefits from increased physical activity are estimated at INR 8,172 million, while avoided costs from reduced air pollution range between INR 94 million and INR 722 million.
• A negative health impact is identified for cyclists due to increased exposure to air pollutants in the urban environment, resulting in a cumulative net cost of INR 3,041 million.
• The NMT network is expected to generate economic gains through increased retail revenues (INR 2,730 million) and a one-time increase in property values between INR 917 million and INR 1,834 million.
• Other quantified avoided costs include fuel savings of INR 4,184 million, noise pollution reduction of INR 875 million, and CO2 emission reductions valued at INR 164 million.

APA

Kapetanakis, M., Nino, N., Casier, L., & Bassi, A. M. (2023). A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore, India. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/savi-non-motorized-transport-coimbatore-india.pdf

Chicago

Kapetanakis, Michail, Nathalia Nino, Liesbeth Casier, and Andrea M. Bassi. A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore, India. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/savi-non-motorized-transport-coimbatore-india.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kapetanakis |first1=Michail |last2=Nino |first2=Nathalia |last3=Casier |first3=Liesbeth |last4=Bassi |first4=Andrea M. |title=A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore, India |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/savi-non-motorized-transport-coimbatore-india.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kapetanakis2023sustainable, author = {Kapetanakis, Michail and Nino, Nathalia and Casier, Liesbeth and Bassi, Andrea M.}, title = {{A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore, India}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/savi-non-motorized-transport-coimbatore-india.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }