City Development Facing Transportation Solution Dilemmas

India is poised to revolutionise its urban transport system, with several initiatives aimed at creating a sustainable, inclusive, and fiscally viable urban transit mix. Here's a look at some key developments and challenges in this arena.

French Cities Lead the Way with Trams

In Europe, cities like Lyon have revived trams since 1990, with 25 cities following suit. Notably, Lyon covers 60 percent of operational and maintenance costs from the farebox and balances it with a parking levy hypothecated to transit. This model could serve as an inspiration for Indian cities seeking affordable mass transit solutions.

Shifting to Electric Buses for a Greener Future

A shift of 20% of two-wheeler trips to electric buses could avoid 6 Mt CO2 annually by 2030. With the government's flagship responses aiming to seed 38,000 electric buses, India is gearing up for a greener and more sustainable urban transport future.

Empowering Urban Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTAs)

Proposals are underway to grant statutory planning, fare-setting, and data-sharing power to UMTAs. Integrating land-use, parking, and transit plans into a single Master Mobility Plan within three years could lead to more effective urban transport planning.

Kochi Pioneers Modern Light-Tram Corridor

Kochi is set to pilot India's first modern light-tram corridor, marking a significant step towards reviving trams in the country.

Affordable Mass Transit Boosts Women's Labour Force Participation

Affordable mass transit can reduce "spatial poverty traps," improving women's labor-force participation by up to 15 percentage points. This underscores the importance of accessible and affordable urban transport for promoting gender equality.

Europe Leads in Light Rail & Tram Ridership

Europe leads in light rail and tram ridership, with 10.4 billion trips per year (2018). India could learn from these successful models to improve its own urban transport system.

Proposals for targeted mobility vouchers via Aadhaar-linked DBT for low-income riders and dynamic distance-cum-time pricing could optimize load factors without penalizing the poor.

PM e-DRIVE (2025)

The government's PM e-DRIVE initiative targets 14,000 e-buses in nine Tier-I cities and 1,10,000 e-rickshaws for feeder services, aiming to electrify India's urban public transport.

Domestic Manufacturing & Skills

A Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) sub-scheme for tram and trolley-bus components and integrating e-mobility modules in ITIs and polytechnics could boost domestic manufacturing and skills development in the sector.

Trams Offer a 45% Net Surplus Over 70 Years

A study shows that trams offer a 45% net surplus over 70 years, while e-buses register an 82% net loss. This suggests that trams could be a more financially viable option for Indian cities.

India's Urban Transit Challenges

India faces several challenges in developing a sustainable urban transit mix. These include design and integration issues, infrastructure and capacity gaps, high capital costs and long timelines of projects, urban sprawl and regional growth pressures, and the need for regional integration.

Potential Solutions

Potential solutions include integrated multi-modal networks, expansion of Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS), regional planning for balanced urban development, investment in alternative transit technologies, and a focus on financial sustainability.

In conclusion, a successful urban transit mix for India requires holistic, regionally integrated planning that leverages a mix of transit modes with an emphasis on last-mile connectivity, affordability, and scalable investments like RRTS, supported by careful design and operational integration to address the distinct mobility needs of diverse urban populations. This approach mitigates shortcomings seen in earlier projects like BRTS and addresses infrastructure, financial, and social equity challenges simultaneously.

[1] Design and integration issues: Many existing systems like Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRTS) have suffered from poor design, lack of feeder and last-mile connectivity, and insufficient need assessment, leading to congestion, safety problems, and public backlash.

[2] Infrastructure and capacity gaps: Indian cities face chronic underinvestment in urban mobility infrastructure with bus fleets far below international benchmarks, contributing to severe urban congestion and limited access to efficient transit.

[3] High capital costs and long timelines of projects: Mass transit modes like metros have very high construction costs (₹200-600 crore per km) and long implementation periods, raising concerns about their financial viability and efficiency.

[4] Urban sprawl and regional growth pressures: Increasing populations in mega-cities strain existing public transport capacities, creating congestion and pollution and exacerbating housing affordability issues in urban cores.

[5] Need for regional integration: Lack of coordinated regional transit planning causes planning inefficiencies and fragmentation, limiting mobility options for suburban and peri-urban populations.

[6] Brazil's Curitiba pioneered the trunk-feeder design and zoning along high-capacity corridors, with approximately 54 percent of residents within 500 m of a BRT stop.

[7] China integrates land auction revenues with metro funding; TOD around metro stations captures up to 30 percent of value-increment.

[8] The National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP, 2006, revised 2014) initially shifted the focus from "moving vehicles to moving people."

[9] The Gati Shakti National Master Plan (2021) seeks multimodal integration in urban transport.

[10] India faces a significant headline deficit, with 200,000 buses required versus approximately 35,000 currently on the road.

[11] India is expected to add approximately 300 million new urban residents by 2047.

[12] Capital-intensive metro systems still dominate budgetary outlays while lower-cost surface modes such as trams, trolleybuses, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) receive intermittent attention.

[13] Adopt Mode-agnostic Life-Cycle Cost Tendering: Proposal to mandate LCC-based procurement for all urban transit projects, covering carbon and congestion externalities, and pilot competitive bids between tram, BRT, and e-bus corridors on identical alignments.

[14] Every rupee invested in urban public transport returns approximately ₹4 via productivity, health, and time savings.

[15] 6. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC): Interoperable ticketing system for metro, bus, and suburban rail.

Despite the success of Lyon's tram system, balancing maintenance costs with a parking levy could inspire Indian cities seeking affordable mass transit solutions.
A shift towards electric buses could prevent 6 million tons of CO2 emissions annually by 2030, as part of the government's effort to seed 38,000 electric buses.
Proposals for granting statutory planning, fare-setting, and data-sharing power to Urban Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTAs) would help integrate land-use, parking, and transit plans for more efficient urban transport.
Kochi is making a significant step towards reviving trams in India with its pilot modern light-tram corridor.
Affordable and accessible urban transport not only improves women's labor-force participation but also promotes gender equality.
Europe's success in light rail and tram ridership offers valuable insights for India's urban transport system development.
Targeted mobility vouchers via Aadhaar-linked DBT for low-income riders, along with dynamic distance-cum-time pricing, could optimize load factors without penalizing the poor.
The government's PM e-DRIVE initiative aims to electrify India's urban public transport by introducing 14,000 e-buses in nine Tier-I cities and 1,10,000 e-rickshaws for feeder services.
Domestic manufacturing and skills development in the transport sector could be boosted through a PLI sub-scheme for tram and trolley-bus components and integrating e-mobility modules in ITIs and polytechnics.
Trams offer a 45% net surplus over 70 years, making them a financially viable option compared to e-buses that register an 82% net loss.
India's urban transport challenges encompass design and integration issues, infrastructure and capacity gaps, high capital costs, long timelines, urban sprawl, regional growth pressures, and the need for regional integration.
Potential solutions include integrated multi-modal networks, expansion of Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS), regional planning for balanced urban development, investment in alternative transit technologies, and a focus on financial sustainability.
Adopting a mode-agnostic life-cycle cost tendering approach could mandate LCC-based procurement for all urban transit projects, covering carbon and congestion externalities, and piloting competitive bids between tram, BRT, and e-bus corridors on identical alignments.
Every rupee invested in urban public transport returns around ₹4 via productivity, health, and time savings.
The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) aims to provide an interoperable ticketing system for metro, bus, and suburban rail networks.

City Development Facing Transportation Solution Dilemmas