Overhaul of present city public transport frameworks wanted in India: Study

The research additionally advocated adoption of last-mile connectivity, multimodal integration, and conducive land-use planning following globally recognised fashions, comparable to Singapore’s public transport combining metro and feeder buses with built-in ticketing and real-time monitoring or Amsterdam providing greater than 500 km of devoted biking lanes, supporting first—and last-mile journey. Further, the paper known as for the event of compact, walkable communities round transit hubs to curb city sprawl, increase public transport ridership, and promote sustainable city improvement.

“India’s city transit problem is not only about infrastructure however integration. Empowered metropolitan transport authorities are important to interrupt silos, streamline planning, and ship seamless mobility throughout modes,” mentioned Manish Mathur, associate at Kearney.

The researchers recognized three interconnected systematic obstacles for sustainable and accessible transportation in Indian cities— delays and value overruns of marquee initiatives resulting from poor implementation, coverage fragmentation resulting in restricted coordination, and the underutilization of different funding mechanisms comparable to land worth seize.

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The whitepaper quoted a 2018 research by Boston Consulting Group and Uber, which discovered that congestion drains over $22 billion yearly from 4 main cities-Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. They additionally famous that India is dwelling to 6 of the world’s 9 most polluted cities.

The researchers famous that whereas 23 Indian cities have metro rail networks in 2025, from simply 5 in 2010, the full ridership of 10 million passengers contains solely 5.5% of the inhabitants of those 23 cities. Further, Delhi alone accounts for 77% of the nationwide metro rail ridership.

At the identical time, bus programs have deteriorated regardless of a push for electrification, with solely 72% of the fleet operational. Other than this, the paper acknowledged the significance of suburban practice programs and the existence of different modes comparable to monorail and ropeways.

While there’s an array of mass-mobility options ranging from buses, to trams, ropeways, and metro, the researchers known as for cost-effective, sustainable choices based mostly on geography and demand, going by data-driven evaluation of demographics, journey patterns, and development forecasts.

The authors additionally advocated for fostering a home ecosystem for manufacturing, talent improvement, and expertise switch will create self-reliance and gas financial development.

“Governments should act as enablers of this transformation by prioritizing individuals over vehicles, sustainability over short-term positive factors, and collaboration over isolation. Embracing this imaginative and prescient with urgency and function can pave the way in which for greener, extra linked cities that promise a greater tomorrow for all,” the paper concluded.