Public buses as a poll issue in Maharashtra

As Maharashtra gears up for the assembly elections, it remains to be seen whether inclusive access to public transport will become a political priority, as it has in other states.

- Shweta Vernekar Ananya Sharma

Public transport systems have been known to reduce traffic congestion, decrease pollution, and foster greater economic productivity; the impact of Bogota's TransMilenio on the economy and air quality is widely recognised.

In India, transit strategies rely heavily on expanding road infrastructure. Yet urban planners argue that building more roads to ease congestion is a short-term and, often, counter-productive solution. Expanding road networks encourages private vehicle use, worsening the very issues it aims to solve.

Maharashtra, home to India's largest road network at 636,887 km, with Pune and Mumbai ranking as the seventh (2023) and fifth (2021) most congested cities globally, exemplifies the consequences of this short-sighted approach.

Experts argue that investing in robust public transport systems, particularly bus-based networks, is the key to solving India's mobility crisis. A bus can carry 20 times as many passengers, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by up to two-thirds per passenger kilometre compared to private vehicles.