Experts call for new urban transport policy as India's vehicle fleet crosses 413 mn
New Delhi, June 8
With India's vehicle fleet crossing 413 million amid rapid urbanisation, experts on Monday called for a renewed urban transport framework as the Indian School of Public Policy launched a review of the country's 2006 National Urban Transport Policy.
India's registered vehicle fleet increased from approximately 90 million vehicles in 2006 to more than 413 million in 2025, with over 320 million vehicles added during the last two decades alone, the statement said.
The review was launched by ISPP through its Centre for Urban Transitions (ICUT) and the launch event drew transport and policy experts, found the National Urban Transport Policy's vision for public and non‑motorised transport was not matched by outcomes and it recommended a new policy in 2026 to reflect contemporary challenges.
The implementation of current policy often prioritised stand‑alone metro rail projects that were not integrated with broader mobility networks and land‑use planning.
The report also noted that several issues that have become central to urban transport planning today, including parking management, urban freight movement, the mobility needs of smaller cities, app-based transport services, e-commerce logistics and climate resilience, were not sufficiently addressed.
"India has never really had a comprehensive urbanisation policy because we long believed that India lives in its villages, and cities were often treated as an afterthought," said Dr Parth Shah, Dean and Co-founder, Indian School of Public Policy. Many problems targeted by the 2006 urban transport policy have actually worsened due to lack of urban governance policy, he added.
BVR Subrahmanyam, former CEO of NITI Aayog, said that India's economic growth will increasingly be driven by its cities, yet urbanisation still lacks a comprehensive plan. "The next generation of policy must embed urban transport within a broader urbanisation framework that plans for growth, manages congestion and creates more liveable cities," he added.
"If public transport and walking remain inconvenient, people will continue to prefer private vehicles. The future of urban mobility lies in making public transport easier, more accessible and more reliable," said Sanjiv Sahai, former Managing Director of DIMTS and former Secretary, Ministry of Power.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally someone is saying what we've all been feeling—cities are an afterthought in India. I live in Bangalore and the commute has become a nightmare. We need a comprehensive urbanisation policy that includes walking paths, cycling lanes, and better bus networks. Not just flyovers and more cars. 🚶♀️🚴♀️
As someone who uses public transport daily, I agree that convenience is key. But also, we need to make public transport safer for women and elderly. And what about smaller cities? They're growing too but have almost zero public transport options. Hope the new policy addresses this! 🙏
I've been working in urban planning for a decade now and this report sums up the core issue: no integration. We build metro stations but don't have feeder buses. We widen roads but ignore pedestrian crossings. India needs to stop treating transport as separate from land use and housing. It's all connected.
I'm glad they mentioned e-commerce logistics and app-based services. With Zomato and Amazon deliveries everywhere, our narrow streets weren't designed for this chaos. But honestly, will any of these recommendations actually be implemented? We've had so many reports collecting dust in government offices. 😔
The 2006 policy had good intentions but poor execution. I hope the new policy learns from global best practices—look at how Singapore or Tokyo manage urban mobility. Also, climate resilience is crucial now. We can't keep building concrete jungles that flood every monsoon. Time for a holistic approach! 🌧️🌍