Interesting video specifically on the disappointing state of public transport in India. Major takeaways for me:
- Many Indian cities are investing in (expensive and flashy) metros, which are posting disappointing ridership numbers, but
- Most Indian commuters are travelling distances short enough that biking or using rickshaws are quicker
- India’s metros are significantly more expensive for riders than other methods of transport
- Bus fleets in Indian cities aren’t growing, while their populations are expanding rapidly
- Traffic engineers/policymakers suffering from carbrain (sound familiar?)
Interesting watch, I’d say, as a non-Indian who doesn’t see much content about the world’s most populous country posted much
In a big city a metro is always better than no metro, so congratulations to those Indian cities that have (finally) got their act together on this front.
Last year I spent some time in Pune, a city of 7 million which has been labeled India’s “most livable”, presumably partly on the basis of its new metro. Well. The metro had a single line and was absolutely not at capacity, despite a pretty low train frequency. Perhaps because of the fares, maybe also the full airport-style security at every station. This was not something you can easily hop on and off, as city public transport should really always be.
I visited a number of Indians cities and it was no better anywhere else. Compared with the situation in China, let alone places like Japan and Taiwan, it’s night and day. The quality of life in India is really being held back by the dreadful state of urban infrastructure in general and public transport in particular. There’s been progress but India must do better.
I experienced the airport-style security at the Delhi metro as well. It was absolutely insane, think I waited about 20 minutes just to get into the station. That is not at all practical for most commuters.