Urbanisation is now synonymous with economic growth, innovation and prosperity. While India’s urbanisation (35%) is low compared to other G-20 countries, our cities are growing fast. Private ownership of motor vehicles is, similarly, rising, given the relatively higher per capita income in cities.

The biggest daily problems of any city dweller today are almost certainly road congestion and traffic paralysis. Endless man-hours are lost. Pollution is rising, and commuters are increasingly frustrated and helpless. Take the city of Bengaluru, for instance. Thirty years ago, one could schedule four or five different engagements in a day; today, one is likely to be late for just the second meeting if it is in a different corner of the city! The absence of a reliable, high-quality public transport system compels the use of private motor vehicles. While about 60% of the motor vehicles are two-wheelers, the number of cars too is increasing rapidly. Bengaluru now has 12m motor vehicles for a 12m population, 100 vehicles for 100 people. The ratios for Hyderabad (73), Pune (68), Ahmedabad (52) and Chennai (52) are also very high and increasing. Cities with better public transport have lower ratios—Mumbai (27) and Delhi (27). Globally, London (29), Tokyo (22), Shanghai (18), and Singapore (14) have relatively low ownership of personal automobiles despite prosperity. Clearly, the quality of public transport is critical in reducing vehicle population and minimising congestion and pollution.

Some of the best cities in the world have........

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