There is a way out of the maze of jammed urban streets

Our cities are all but overrun by private vehicles and it's time to implement broad solutions for real relief

- SANJAY CHADHA

As Indian cities expand to accommodate growing populations, the infrastructure supporting them has struggled to keep pace. The typical policy response has been to build more roads, widen existing ones and invest in flyovers. However, states are now starting to explore a more sustainable path: optimizing the use of existing infrastructure. This shift, while still incremental, holds promise—if cities can scale and sustain it.

Policies in transition: Earlier this year, Maharashtra approved car and bike pooling policies aimed at increasing vehicle efficiency. In Delhi, to manage traffic congestion around India Gate, authorities designated taxi pick-up and drop-off points. More recently, the Delhi government announced a Unified Transport Authority under its 'One City, One Commute' framework.

These underscore a deeper problem: a sharp rise in private vehicle ownership that is overwhelming urban infrastructure. In Delhi, private cars—often with a single occupant—consume more than 75% of road space but account for less than 20% of daily trips.

Cars hog a disproportionate share of urban resources: Despite cars being owned by less than 10% of Indian households, they benefit disproportionately from public subsidies and urban land. A single parked car occupies 23 square metres of space—area that could otherwise support a tree, bench or street vendor. In Mumbai, a municipal audit found that nearly 30% of footpaths in key areas were blocked by either parked vehicles or spillovers from car-centric infrastructure.