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Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, is now classified as a metropolitan city, with an estimated current population exceeding 1.9 million. According to the 2011 census, the city’s population was around 1 million. This means the population has nearly doubled in the past 14 years, growing at an annual rate of 3–4 per cent. As the population has increased, so has the city’s geographical footprint.
A 2021 study published in the International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Scope (IRJMS) titled Urban Sprawl and Its Impact on Urbanisation in Raipur City (Chhattisgarh State) India by researchers Rajeev Jena and Anil Kumar Sinha revealed that the expansion of Raipur’s urban sprawl has grown significantly. Between 1971 and 1991, the city expanded by 29.86 square kilometres; from 1981 to 2001, by 9.26 square kilometres; from 1991 to 2011, by 6.18 square kilometres; and by a further 6.37 square kilometres by 2018. This expansion occurred rapidly in nearly all directions from the city centre.
However, public transport provision for this sprawling population is proving grossly inadequate. The city’s bus services have drastically reduced over the past five years. Local residents often refer to the city buses not as public buses but as ‘ministry buses’ since most operate between Raipur and Naya Raipur, serving government employees exclusively. These buses are not available for use by the general public.
Officials from the Department of Urban Administration and Development, speaking on condition of anonymity, admit that the city's public transport system has effectively collapsed. One official stated that public transport is the most neglected sector, and no department wants to take responsibility. They noted that before the COVID-19 pandemic, Raipur had 378 city buses, most of which became defunct during the pandemic and were never restored. Currently, there are approximately 140 city buses, with around 100 reserved for ministry staff and only 40 available for public use.
The same official cited the 2013 Detailed Project Report (DPR), which recommended around 400 buses for Raipur based on its population. According to transport planning norms, there should be 100 buses per million residents. The official also acknowledged a lack of coordination among various government departments, which has contributed significantly to the current crisis. Despite high demand for city buses, the administration is unable to act.
Kamal Pandey, president of the Raipur Auto Union, also agrees that due to government neglect, the concept of public transport in the city has virtually disappeared.
D. Ravishankar, Additional Transport Commissioner of Chhattisgarh, told Down To Earth (DTE) that public transport failed due to poor management. He admitted that the number of buses declined after the pandemic and that the system is not run professionally. He emphasised that public transport systems only remain viable when they offer comfort, cleanliness, and safety — all of which have been lacking in Raipur.
Regarding future plans, Ravishankar stated that 150 electric buses are to be introduced with central government support for Raipur, Durg and Bhilai. He added that to better regulate e-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, Raipur would be divided into zones, and efforts in this direction are underway.
The collapse of public transport in Raipur has led people to rely almost entirely on private buses. Some officials quietly acknowledge that the state’s public bus network has been deliberately allowed to deteriorate to benefit private bus operators.
These private services are primarily run by politically influential individuals and generate substantial profits. After the shutdown of government city buses operating between Raipur, Durg, and Bhilai, private buses became the only means of transport between these cities.
According to sources in the Department of Urban Administration, 1,200 to 1,300 private buses operate daily on this route. They also revealed that before the pandemic, government-operated air-conditioned buses ran efficiently between Raipur Airport and Durg at half-hour intervals. These services were discontinued post-pandemic and have never resumed — allegedly to benefit private operators.
From Raipur’s main bus terminal at Bhatagaon, around 600–700 private buses depart daily for various districts and other states. The terminal hosts offices for approximately 150 travel agencies. Mahindra, Royal, Dubey, and Kanker Travels run the largest fleets from this station.
A terminal employee told DTE that buses start operating as early as 4 a.m. and continue until 12:30 a.m. Some major operators run hundreds of buses. Buses to most major cities in the country are available from this terminal.
Gopal Pandit, waiting at the terminal, shared that he had travelled from Kawardha, about 125 kilometres away, and was now heading to Indore — nearly 950 kilometres from Raipur. He said the journey to Indore takes about 16 hours and that private buses are the only viable option. There are no direct trains or public transport links to Indore.
A private bus ticket to Indore costs around Rs 1,500, rising to Rs 2,000–2,500 during peak seasons. Many districts in Chhattisgarh still lack railway connectivity, making private buses the only practical choice for travel.
With public transport in disarray, Raipur residents are increasingly turning to private vehicles. The sharp rise in vehicle numbers illustrates this trend. According to the national vehicle portal, Raipur’s Road Transport Office is among the state's busiest in terms of both vehicle registrations and revenue collection. Over 1.96 million vehicles have been registered here to date. In 2025 alone (up to June 9), over 67,000 new vehicles have been registered.
In 2024, a total of 129,750 vehicles were registered — an average of around 355 vehicles per day. This was a 16.46 per cent increase from 2023, when 111,410 vehicles were registered. In 2023, registrations rose by 14.76 per cent compared to 2022, which itself saw a 27.98 per cent increase over 2021. Raipur accounts for nearly 23 per cent of all vehicles registered in the state. For several consecutive years, the city has seen over 100,000 new vehicle registrations annually.
Raipur’s roads now carry 34,631 three-wheelers, 15,768 light passenger vehicles, 791 medium passenger vehicles, and 1,478 heavy passenger vehicles. The number of registered private-use omni buses in the district stands at 20,736.
In terms of private vehicles, there are over 1.458 million two-wheelers and more than 300,000 light motor vehicles — including around 240,000 cars. These figures suggest that nearly every 1.3 residents in the city owns a two-wheeler, and about 13 per cent of the population owns a private car.
This article is part of our series on how India moves, which looks at the relationship between air quality and human mobility in cities and towns. This story is the third in the Raipur mobility series. Also read the first, second and fourth parts.