Commute

Thanks to lack of political will and unfortunate US-style aspiration, we have arrived at a sad state of affairs as far as urban mobility is concerned. In this first of a four-part series, the author explains the latent inequality and hierarchy in our city streets.

Flawed design, poor implementation, and the near absence of a centralized authority has left the bus rapid transit system in shambles, with infrequent buses, shabby and ailing infrastructure, and road mishaps on these corridors being the norm.

In June, the government called for proposals from state transport departments for deployment of 5,000 electric buses, to be supported under the FAME-II scheme; but how close are our cities to realising that vision?

A recent survey undertaken as part of an academic project brought to light the woes of people with disabilities in Kochi when it came to commute. A look at what needs to be done to make the city transport system more inclusive

The push from the government for electrification of mobility in our cities has been unmistakable, and several cities/states have started deploying EVs in public transport services. But to scale up the adoption of EVs across the board, some more action is needed on these fronts.

The city’s largest infrastructure project ever, Hyderabad Metro was expected to carry about 17 lakh passengers per day by 2017. But with only two partly operational lines, slow expansion and poor last mile connectivity, the targets appear elusive and raise many questions about the project itself.

Launched in 2018 with the express aim of facilitating safe and comfortable commute for women, the Pink bus services have neither lived up to their original promise, nor made any significant difference to the overall fleet of public bus transport.

As election discourse heats up, many political parties promise to make urban mobility, public transport key areas of focus. But do they walk the talk? What does the proposal for an elevated corridor in Bengaluru say about the search for sustainable mobility solutions?

In a detailed interview with Citizen Matters, Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson of the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC), throws light on the exact goals with regard to induction of e-buses in the capital and the journey towards that over the last one year.

622 vacancies advertised by the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited led to chaos on the roads of Imphal. While many have come out sharply against the organisation, the incident also paints a telling picture of job trends and preferences among youth in the state.

As urban centres thrive and expand beyond the reach of walking and cycling distances, it becomes important for cities to understand and provide the most efficient and sustainable ways of moving people and goods. Can transit oriented development hold the key?

Perpetually under construction, these projects cause regular bottlenecks for traffic in Delhi and paint a telling picture of what makes driving around the capital city such a nightmare.