Developing Metro Rail-Based Accessibility in India: Existing Challenges and Prospects

In cities, social and economic functions are bound together by the transportation system. Indian cities have varied densities, incomes, land-use patterns and trip distances. They are now experiencing rapid urbanization, thus amplifying the demand for efficient transportation systems. The transportation system in developing countries is often shabby, yet they are expected to contribute towards the 11th sustainable development goal. A rapid mass transit system is a dynamic solution for efficient, inclusive and environmentally sustainable transportation. However, the wide disparity between metro cost and its ridership has prompted doubts about the efficacy of metros. The allure of metros has led them to be replicated in cities without a thorough feasibility study, thus resulting in a mistaken investment which only adds a superfluous gloss to the efforts to improve public transportation. This paper expresses the need to invest in metro projects for sustainable mobility. It describes how a cohesive system can be created for financing, planning and management of a capital-intensive project that poses several challenges. It also explains the need for metro rails in cities with high travel demand, gaps between policies and stakeholders, differences in policy and actual practices and other challenges in the progress of such projects. The measures suggested herewith are aimed at increasing metro rail ridership and thereby improving the quality of life in Indian cities.