Commute

Children and adults pedalling to school, work and play — this was a common sight on Pune's streets not so long ago. Once known for its vibrant cycling culture, the city still has many groups and communities that promote non-motorised transport. However, with the rise of motorised vehicles, cycling has not only taken a back seat, but has also become unsafe and inconvenient due to poor infrastructure. This is despite Pune having dedicated cycle tracks and lanes. The decline in cycling infrastructure is reiterated by a recent audit, which found that only 11% of cycle tracks in Pune fell in…

Bengaluru is racing to bridge the gap between first-mile and last-mile connectivity in public transport, but for people with disabilities, the journey is riddled with obstacles. Inaccessible bus stops and terminals in the city keep them excluded. “I have been travelling on muscle memory alone. There are no supportive facilities or infrastructure in bus stops or terminals,” says Mohan Kumar, a visually-impaired person who has been commuting in Bengaluru buses since 2012.  The exclusion starts at the bus stop. “Even if buses are inclusive, it is nearly impossible to reach the bus stops in Bengaluru due to poor design and…

For someone living in the suburbs along Sarjapur Road, the promise of “public transport and walkable Bengaluru” still feels like a distant dream. I was once a regular commuter on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation's (BMTC) 500EB (Electronics City–KR Puram) route for nearly six months. But by 2024, I had given up — worn out by unreliable service and unsafe pedestrian crossings, especially at Doddanekundi (Bagmane Constellation). I switched to driving, like most others in my neighbourhood. On November 7th, 2025, I decided to give public transport another chance. The morning trial I started around 8.30 am, optimistic about using the…

Fifty-five-year-old Gnana Bharathi, a scientist at the Central Leather Research Institute and a wheelchair user for over two decades, rarely takes the bus anymore. Chennai’s bus stops and termini, he says, are designed in a way that makes independent travel “nearly impossible”— from reaching the stop safely, to getting onto the platform and finally boarding the bus — without physical risk. So, when the Greater Chennai Corporation declared the Vivekananda House Bus Stop on Kamarajar Salai as an accessible, ‘model bus stop’, he decided to try it.“When I arrived at the location in my wheelchair, I couldn’t even access the…

Maximum City, Glamour City, City of Dreams, City of Struggles — Mumbai wears many names and identities. One of the world's most populous cities, it houses a staggering 2.17 crore people in just 603 square kilometres. Its carrying capacity in terms of accommodating a workforce was exceeded a decade ago, yet the daily inflow continues. Sky-high, artificially inflated real estate prices have pushed many to the distant suburbs, making the daily commute for work or study an arduous struggle. And yet the mobility solutions that the city administration and other powers that be come up with are not only inadequate,…

As a child growing up in Chennai, then called Madras, the two things that made me happiest were a trip to the beach and a ride over the Gemini Flyover. Yes, what seems mundane now was a magical experience in the 1980s. Built in 1973, the Anna Flyover was Chennai’s first and the longest in the country at the time of its construction. It remained the sole flyover until 1993, when nine more came up. Today, with over 42 flyovers and more in the pipeline, Chennai is often referred to as the “City of Flyovers.” But are flyovers truly the answer to the city’s…

Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, is known for its pleasant climate. Often, when much of the country struggles with heat, rain brings relief to this city. Last year, Bengaluru received 933.8 mm of rain over the year (IMD data). But rain, while welcome, also unravels a host of problems: flooded roads, traffic chokes, and an often futile scramble for autorickshaws on ride-hailing apps like Uber, Ola and Rapido. Despite their algorithmic promises, these platforms collapse during peak demand, making transport scarce and expensive. A commuter from Indiranagar shares his experience with us: “I needed an auto for just 1.5 km from…

The Bombay Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST), Mumbai’s public bus service, has been an integral part of the life of the city’s residents for a century, supporting its thriving economy. Until a decade ago, it was a source of pride and a model for other Indian cities. However, its decline is now evident, largely due to a lack of transparency in decision-making regarding its operation and revival. As an environmental activist advocating for sustainable cities and a lifelong BEST user, I find its current state deeply saddening. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and BEST directly oversee the service's operations…

“It is something you will remember throughout your life,” says Archana Patney about the experience of making friends while riding the bus to school. She opted for the school bus for her older child, but not for her younger one. She is among the many parents in Mumbai who have to make this important decision come June every year. The Maharashtra Transport Department is set to introduce new regulations for school buses in the upcoming academic year, with a committee led by retired transport officer Jitendra Patil tasked with drafting these measures. This decision follows a series of crimes against…

On August 1, 2024, the Sion overbridge was closed for a two-year reconstruction project, disrupting traffic and daily commutes. The plan is to rebuild the century-old bridge — originally constructed across the railway tracks in 1912 — through a collaboration between the Central Railway and the BMC. However, to the dismay of citizens, the bridge has yet to be demolished. What are the reasons for this delay? Inconvenience to commuters The bridge connecting Sion East to Sion West serves as a vital link between Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg, Dharavi, the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), and the Eastern Express Highway.…