How India moves: Rethinking urban mobility through science, policy & human-centric design

If you think of any fast-growing Indian city like Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow or Pune, while they are buzzing with opportunity, they are also choked by traffic. Our roads, particularly in urban centres, are congested, have longer commute times, and lack adequate public transport, making it difficult to cope.

India is urbanising at a rapid rate, but mobility systems are struggling to keep pace. This is also one of the major reasons why as a country we see over 150,000 road fatalities every year, with pedestrians, cyclists and children being the most vulnerable.

Background: Aftermath of rapid urbanisation

Taking a city-by-city look, the cracks are visible. For example, in a city like Bengaluru that is also a major IT hub, traffic jams have become a significant challenge, making everyday travel exhausting. As per available data, it takes a person 30 minutes to cover just 10 km. Up north in Lucknow, surge in private vehicle ownership, growing at 10-12 per cent annually and slow pace of public transport expansion, growth in informal modes like e-rickshaws and unplanned integration are adding to chaos.

Also in our country, data tells that over 90 vehicles are registered every minute and over 88 per cent are private cars or two-wheelers. This overwhelming dominance of personal transport is not only adding to woes like traffic congestion, or crashes, but also signals a public health crisis.

Cities like Delhi and Kolkata are battling alarming mortality rates linked to transport-related pollution, especially among those living near high traffic corridors.

At this critical juncture, it is important to ask ourselves these questions that despite roads being widened, flyovers built and traffic flow prioritised, why such issues continue to persist.  

It is because our cities have been shaped around movement of vehicles rather than mobility of people. This vehicle-centric planning has led to an urban mobility system that is deeply unequal and unsustainable. As a result, the needs of the majority who walk, cycle or depend on public transport also take a back seat.

Embracing inclusive design with behaviour-sensitive planning

We must note that urban mobility, by nature, is multi-modal. This means that roads are meant to serve a diverse mix of users including non-motorised transport (NMT) like walking or bicycling. However, if we look at our roads, we hardly have infrastructure dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians.

Moreover, most Indian cities lack safe crossings, continuous footpaths, or protected cycling lanes. Also, foot overbridges and underpasses are often under-used as they are not designed as per the requirements or behaviour of pedestrians. Pedestrians are also sometimes forced to take lengthy detours to access a safe crossing facility, without giving due regard to their requirements or behaviour.

To build smart and sustainable urban mobility systems, we must embrace inclusive design over just vehicle-centric planning. This is because mobility is not only about movement, but also about access, equity, safety and well-being.

There is a need to redesign streets to include people, especially those walking, cycling or using public transport. We should acknowledge infrastructure alone won't solve urban mobility challenges unless it's accompanied by behaviour-sensitive planning and policies that reflect on-ground realities. 

Enforce scientific, evidence-based speed limits

Another crucial factor in urban mobility planning is speed management. Most of the European cities have excellent pedestrian and cyclists' facilities. Still, in those cities, the urban speed limits are capped at 50 km / h or lower in areas with mixed traffic.

In contrast, Indian cities allow higher limits and lack zone-specific speed limit management for different areas like a residential neighbourhood, a school, or a crowded market. Also, while deciding safe speed limits, human injury tolerance limit also must be considered in order to bring down the change of fatality in the event of an accident. 

Recently, Kolkata introduced scientifically backed speed limits, capping speeds at 50 km / h in urban areas and lowering them further in high-risk zones. 

While this a welcome step, it is important to adopt similar scientific speed management framework in other Indian cities to bring down the road fatalities in a time bound manner. A national policy to standardize such speed limits across urban India based on road, traffic and human injury tolerance is the need of the hour.

Conclusion: People, safety, sustainability must be at the heart of urban mobility

Vehicular transport is also a leading cause of air pollution in cities. While there have been efforts to build wider roads, flyovers or push to EVs, the air pollution still exists.

Unfortunately, active mobility like walking and cycling that offer both environmental and health benefits have not received much attention. They are vital to creating more inclusive, liveable cities.

There are global lessons to draw from. Cities like Amsterdam and Vienna have transformed into healthier, cleaner, and more liveable spaces by putting pedestrians and cyclists at the centre of planning. 

Urban mobility planning in India must be human-first with safety as its foundation, not an afterthought. Our streets should be designed to protect walkers, cyclists, and transit users through dedicated lanes, safer crossings, and intuitive design.

Smart technologies like AI-based violation detection, adaptive traffic signals, and real-time data systems are already being adopted in cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Chandigarh. Integrated multi-modal mobility backed by policy alignment is the key.

Pedestrians, bicyclists and public transport must be given due priority. Well-recognised institutions like IITs and NITs, which have proven capacity and competence must be active scientific partners in crafting sustainable solutions for urban India. With vision, policy and collaboration, India can lead the way, if it listens to its streets and puts people first.

Bhargab Maitra, professor, civil engineering department, IIT Kharagpur, and member of Road Safety Network. Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.

Final summary: As India rapidly urbanises, cities like Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata face mounting traffic congestion and pollution, exacerbated by a dominance of private vehicles. The lack of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists highlights the need for inclusive, human-centric urban planning. Implementing scientific speed limits and prioritising non-motorised transport can enhance safety and sustainability, creating more equitable and accessible urban mobility systems.