Public Transport

Cities and metropolitan areas are centers of diverse and dynamic activities which require efficient and convenient transportation of persons and goods for its smooth functioning. With the increasing environmental concerns, sustainability, and emphasis on quality of life or livability, the role of mass transit is of key importance in Indian cities in the coming decades. To meet this role, transit must be planned in sync with infrastructure such as streets and highways, and given the necessary priorities to achieve a desirable balanced use of private modes, non-motorized modes and public transportation.

Public Transport generates low travel times and travel costs for people and goods. It permits equal access to urban life opportunities (social services, education, health, recreation) and provides adequate support to desired form, size and density of the city-region. Overall, it contributes to improvement of air quality and urban environment. While the present scenario reveals that in the composition of vehicles, the share of public transport, especially buses is going down drastically, while the share of personal vehicles is going up in astronomical proportion.

Smart Cities Mission-Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs intends to launch ‘Public Transport’ strategy to help cities transform their public transport. The Public Transport Framework Toolkit consists of four volumes: Public Transport Policy Framework, Public Transport Policy Workbook, Public Transport Evaluation Metrics and Public Transport Best Practices Compendium.

The policy paper takes a close look at the existing organizational structure and legal framework that shapes the development of public transport in the country. The paper tracks the policy initiatives in mass transit, bus transport, para transport, water ways and integrated transport systems in India to arrive at the trends in adopting Public Transport in the country. The major focus is on estimation of resource allocation for Public Transport at various levels of administration. The various methods of financing projects are also explored with thrust on innovative models with case studies. The various technological advancements to improve efficiency of systems is explored.

The performance evaluation document provides guidance on performance measurement program development for cities. It discusses basic concepts, describes examples of public transport system performance evaluation practices from around the globe, and identifies key factors for their success.it is information will prove to be of value to policy-makers, policy analysts, and practitioners involved in urban transport planning, particularly public transport planning and provision in cities in both developed and developing countries.

Public Transport Sector Framework documents are intended to be used by city managers, municipal commissioners, CEOs of smart cities SPVs for development & integrated planning. These framework documents will help develop capacities of these officers to better understand this sector in terms of policy perspective, designing, financing, technology and overall development.

Your feedback and suggestions over draft consultation paper (access the document here) would be invaluable for us. We request you to provide your feedback/ suggestions/ recommendations on the framework toolkit, here, by 31st Jan, 2019.