Mobility lies at the center of every urban city. Cars and buses hurtle down roads; scooters and bikes attempt to find nooks and corners to fit into and people move from one corner of a city to the other, without giving it much thought. When this ability to move comes under stress, it is equivalent to a fundamental rite of life being threatened. Currently, this rite of getting around is under threat as urbanized cities across the globe are burdened with unhealthy smog, traffic jams and the consequent noise pollution resulting from unsustainable mobility models. Ever growing conventional motorization has beleaguered the environment and created a need for global capitals to adopt sustainable mobility solutions.
India, being the second most populous country in the world, faces an alarming threat from the conventional mobility pattern to its environment. With nearly 34.03% of the Indian populace residing in urban areas, there has been a mounting pressure on the transportation systems of cities. This number was at 27% two decades back. The advent of industrialization and commercialization has exponentially increased the rate of urbanization in the country. And, with a higher urbanization rate comes a higher rate of motorization.
The current urban infrastructure cannot cope up with the rising number of vehicles, with automobile sales in the country expected to quadruple in the next 15 years. Congestion on India roads is already close to intolerable, and the country is home to 21 out of the world’s 30 most polluted cities. Addressing this mobility challenge is of utmost importance to build sustainable cities. One of the prominent solutions here lies in boosting public transport, powered by electric engines.
Public transport in India, be it on road or rail, has been a primary mode of transportation throughout the country. By moving more people with fewer vehicles, public transport has the potential to exponentially reduce emissions. More so if they are powered by electric engines.
This report aims to analyze India’s policy initiatives to adopt electric powered technology for mobility, with a focus on the shift to electric public transport.
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