Stranded in the transit information void

On a warm but windy February afternoon, Ram Swarup, 69, waited for a bus at Barakhamba Road in Delhi.

- Manoj Sharma

The bus shelter on this road in central Delhi has bright digital screens that flash advertisements, and boasts of a digital clock, an emergency button, and route numbers. But what Swarup needed the most was missing—a route map and real-time bus information.

A bus arrived, and Swarup asked the conductor whether its route took it to Kamla Nagar in north Delhi. However, the conductor, busy with other passengers inside the bus, scarcely paid any attention to him.

Finally, the 69-year-old, visiting the Capital from Hapur, jumped onto a bus on a fellow commuter's suggestion, hoping it would get him close to his destination.

For millions of commuters in Indian cities, bus travel is not just about availability but also about accessibility. In the Capital, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses together record an average daily ridership of 4.14 million passengers.

Yet, unlike Metro systems with clear maps, signage, and real-time updates, buses in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru lack consistent, easy-to-understand transit information.

Missing route maps and the absence of real-time tracking make commuting a frustrating ordeal. Google Maps and many other mobility apps offer little help to those without smartphones, data access, or digital literacy.

In 2022, the Delhi government announced plans to build 1,400 bus shelters with route maps, real-time arrival information, and fare details. Two years later, progress remains stalled. Mumbai's new bus shelters include bookshelves, charging points, letter boxes, and emergency contacts—but not route maps.