How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India?

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Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Efficient and affordable urban mass transport drives growth by widening labour markets, cutting congestion and fuel costs, and letting women and informal workers reach jobs. Bengaluru commuters lost 117 rush-hour hours in 2024, per the Economic Survey 2025-26.

**Introduction**

With India's urban share expected to cross 40% by 2030 and Bengaluru commuters losing 117 rush-hour hours in 2024 (Economic Survey 2025-26), mass transport decides whether cities grow productive or gridlocked.

**How Efficient Mass Transport Drives Growth**

SKETCH: flow | From Transit to Growth
- Fast, cheap transit
- Wider job access
- Larger labour market
- Agglomeration gains
- Higher productivity

1. **Agglomeration economies**: Doubling city size raises productivity by about 12% in India (World Bank, 2021), but only if workers can reach jobs across the city.
2. **Congestion relief**: Shifting trips to metros and suburban rail can win back much of the 103 rush-hour hours each Mumbai commuter lost in 2024 and free roads for freight.
3. **Investment and energy**: Corridors like the Namo Bharat RRTS (2023) lift land values for value capture, while transit cuts fuel imports and pollution.

**Why Affordability Makes Growth Inclusive**

1. **Informal workers**: Mumbai's suburban railway moves about 75 lakh people daily at low fares.
2. **Women's work**: Free bus travel for women in Delhi (2019) and Karnataka's Shakti scheme (2023) widened access to jobs.
3. **Buses and metros**: PM e-Bus Sewa funds 10,000 e-buses for 169 cities, while Delhi Metro ridership fell after 2017 fare hikes.

**Way Forward**

1. **Integrated planning**: Cities should create Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities, as the National Urban Transport Policy (2006) urged, with common ticketing through the National Common Mobility Card.
2. **TOD and last mile**: Dense, mixed-use growth near stations and good feeder links lift ridership, as Kochi's metro and Water Metro (2023) show.
3. **Fare policy**: Targeted concessions and viability funding keep fares affordable without starving operators.

**Conclusion**

Efficient, affordable mass transport widens labour markets and makes growth inclusive, turning India's cities into engines of Viksit Bharat 2047.

How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India?

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