Urban Transport Challenges and Their Implications for Accessibility, Affordability, and Efficiency in India: A Systematic Review

This paper critically examines the state of the urban transport system, highlights the current deficiencies in the system, and identifies the factors responsible through three interrelated dimensions—accessibility, affordability, and efficiency. Inadequate public transport, deficiencies in intermediate public transport, and their inability to be responsive to the differential needs of women, the elderly, and children indicate inequity in access to urban transportation in India. People’s access to non-motorized transport modes is constrained by the lack of proper pedestrian pavements, cycle paths, and the likelihood of traffic accidents. Affordability remains a significant challenge for poor people as they share a higher burden of transport expenses. It would stymie India’s progress towards achieving the SDGs—especially SDG 11.1, related to access to employment, affordable housing, and basic services, and SDG 11.2, related to the design of an inclusive transport system that is safe and affordable. Government policies of supply-side interventions for improving physical infrastructure have been complemented with more people-centric approaches through the promotion of NMT and greater use of public transport and transition towards sustainable mobility. These policy initiatives have failed to adequately account for the differential transport needs of people belonging to different socio-economic groups. So, this paper argues for integrated transport planning with a focus on improvements in public bus systems and sustainable mobility solutions in terms of good quality and safe NMT facilities, design of physical infrastructure responsive to the gender and age-specific requirements, and adoption of bottom-up planning approach for enhancing the inclusiveness of the transportation planning.