Launch of a New Resource on Improving Bus Transport in India
WRI India launches its latest publication Bus Karo 2.0 – Case Studies from India, outlining significant advancements in bus transport in India.
Transport experts from WRI’s EMBARQ India programme have used examples of pilot implementations and case studies to assess the successes and challenges of projects around the country. "Several city bus agencies have implemented innovative solutions to improve services in their cities, like the BIG Bus Network in Bangalore or the successful driver training and fuel efficiency programme run by APSRTC. The purpose of this publication is to complement the Government of India’s current initiatives and to strengthen bus-based public transport in the country", says Amit Bhatt, Strategy Head - Urban Transport, EMBARQ India. Bus Karo 2.0 and other EMBARQ India publications are available online on the organisation’s knowledge-sharing platform, The Hub.
“Indian cities are facing rapid urbanisation. High quality, bus-based mass transit is the most efficient and cost effective way for cities to meet the increasing transport demand. However, this is not without challenges. India manufactures six times fewer big buses annually than China, making it difficult for Indian operators to enhance their fleets appropriately. In order to ensure that city bus services continue to be a major mode of transport, system-wide initiatives that include operational, infrastructural, technological, marketing, and financing innovations are imperative. For cities to be liveable, city bus systems and bus rapid transit systems must be an integral part of development”, says Madhav Pai, Director, EMBARQ India and India Director, WRI Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities.
The earlier volume, Bus Karo – A Guidebook for Bus Operations and Planning was launched in 2010 listing best practices from around the world, using examples from successful initiatives in London, Seoul and Sau Paulo.
Over the last 6 years, EMBARQ India has worked closely with a number of public transport agencies in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Indore, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and others helping implement innovative projects towards improving existing services. Some examples include the BIG Bus Network in Bangalore, providing high-frequency services along major arterials in the city, bus rapid transit systems in Bhopal and Indore, IT systems on buses in Mysore, and driver training and fuel efficiency across several cities. Bus Karo 2.0 analyses these initiatives and provides contextualised learnings to inform planning, design, and operational decisions for bus transport agencies in India.
"I have been associated with EMBARQ India for a while now, particularly on their work with fuel efficiency and driver training in Bhopal, Pune and Indore. Bus Karo 2.0 is an effort made by EMBARQ India to establish a common platform for sharing best practices, experiences and challenges in the field of urban bus transport", says Prasanna Patwardhan, Chairman and Managing Director - Purple Mobility Solutions
EMBARQ India’s transport experts believe that in order for Indian cities to grow in a sustainable manner, bus transport should account for at least half the modal share in Tier 1 cities, and at least one-third of the modal share in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Fact Sheet
- Buses serve over 90 percent of public transport in Indian cities
- Approximately 35,000 public buses are operational in urban areas, of which Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune account for 80 percent
- Agency Profiles
- Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, 22,507 buses, 15.5 million daily passenger trips
- Atal Indore City Transport Services Limited, 110 buses, .1 million daily passenger trips
- Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, 6650 buses, 2700 routes, 5 million daily passenger trips
- Bhopal City Links Limited, 205 buses, 12 routes, .1 million daily passenger trips
- Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking, 4533 buses, 506 routes, 4 million daily passenger trips
- Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation, 3798 buses, 4.8 million daily passenger trips
- Delhi Transport Corporation, 5602 buses, 3 million daily passenger trips
- Jaipur City Transport Services Limited, 408 buses, .2 million daily passenger trips
- Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport, 411 buses, 45 routes, .15 million daily passenger trips
- North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, 4295 buses, 1 million daily passenger trips
