Smart Indian Cities
through Smart Transport
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
August 2014
1. Introduction
The Government of India plans to transform 100 cities across the country into Smart Cities—offering
ample employment, education, and recreational opportunities to India’s growing urban population. To
manage growth, Smart Cities require smart thinking where the Government invests where it matters
most—in better public transport, streets that are safe and convenient for all road users; and measures
to manage personal vehicle use. Rapid motorisation of Indian cities, in the absence of high quality
public transport, has manifold adverse effects. These include increasing energy consumption (and
dependence on foreign oil sources); declining air quality, and more time lost in traffic. Dependence on
personal vehicles also increases travel times and traffic fatalities, and reduces affordable transport
options for the poor.
Cities must offer transport solutions that address these issues, while improving urban livability and
economic opportunity. Solutions must focus on:

Investing in high-quality public transport systems such as a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system;

Providing safe and convenient facilities for non-motorised transport (NMT);

Managing and minimising use of private motor vehicles.
2. Transport principles for Smart Cities
Effective transport systems will be at the heart of urban development and economic activities in Smart
Cities. Therefore, Smart Cities are those cities that:

Invest in high-quality public transport;

Allocate road space for easy movement of people;

Maximum access to public transport;

Ensure all transport facilities and services are designed to be inclusive of all users;

Encourage a shift from private vehicles to sustainable modes.
2.1 Invest in high-quality public transport
The Government must invest in public transport to provide an affordable and convenient form of
mobility to all citizens. A good public transport system ensures that all people have equitable access
to its service, is financially viable and mitigates environmental affects. Public transport systems,
including mass rapid transit and city bus services form the backbone of an efficient urban transport
network, carrying large numbers of people using a dedicated transit lane.
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Figure 1 Good public transport system, such as a BRT, ensures that all people have equitable
access to its service, is financially viable and mitigates environmental affects.
2.2
Allocation road space for easy movement of people
Smart Cities must focus on moving people rather than cars. Providing high quality walking and
cycling corridors, and dedicated public transport lanes are essential for prioritising movement of
people. Thus, street space in Smart Cities should be assigned equitably to ensure effective use of
limited street space, safe conditions for all road users, and time saved travelling.
Figure 2: Smart transport systems allocate dedicated road space to public transport, walking,
and cycling—the greenest and most efficient forms of transport.
2.3
Maximum access to public transport
Smart Cities should encourage development that maximises the benefits of public transit by locating
buildings next to transit corridors and stations - Transit Orientated Developments (TOD). TODs
integrate mix-use development with efficient, people-orientated travel modes – walking, cycling and
public transit. Such development makes the most use of transit by buildings homes, jobs and other
services adjacent to transit infrastructure; thus, resulting in reduced travel time and greenhouse gas
emissions.
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Figure 3: Homes, shops, and jobs are within walking distance of high-capacity public transport
stations to reduce trip distances.
2.4
Ensure universal access and inclusivity
Transport vehicles, facilities, and services must be designed to be inclusive for all users, including
persons with disabilities. Transport systems must also accommodate the needs of multiple user
groups, including women, children, and the elderly, in terms of the routes they use and the times of
day they travel.
Figure 4: Transport systems must be designed to be inclusive for all users.
2.5
Encourage a shift from private vehicles to sustainable modes
Cities must set explicit targets for reducing the use of personal motor vehicles. These targets can be
achieved by implementing adequate parking fees and reducing overall supply of parking to create
incentive for the use of public transport, walking and cycling. These mechanisms will reduce
congestion by encouraging efficient use of available street space and creating an incentive for users
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shift to sustainable transport modes. Traffic management systems can also generate revenue to
support investments in public transport, walking, and cycling.
Figure 5: Reduce space used for motor vehicle and parking to create incentives for the use of
public transport, walking and cycling.
3. The challenge: ramping up the supply of high quality public transport
Sustainable transport interventions need to match the growth of the country’s urban population. A key
element of the urban transport system is “rapid transit”— systems like BRT, suburban rail, and metro
which offer a dedicated right-of-way for public transport vehicles.
By international standards, cities require at least 40 km of transit and 200 km of NMT infrastructure
for every 10 lakh urban residents. Some of the world’s most successful cities have even larger public
transport networks: Paris has 76 km of rapid transit per 10 lakh residents, while London has 55 km
per 10 lakh residents. In comparison, Chennai and Delhi have 11 km of rapid transit per 10 lakh
residents, and, Mumbai and Ahmadabad have 12 km per 10 lakh residents.
Rapid Transit Ratio (RTR) –
km of rapid transit per million urban residents
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11
12
11
11
10
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Chennai
Mumbai
Delhi
Ahmadabad
In the past decade, India built 900 km of rapid transit, including suburban rail, metro and bus rapid
transit (BRT). Compared to the country’s urban population, this amounts to a mere 0.9 km of rapid
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transit per 10 lakh residents! At this rate, it will take us centuries to build the 10,000 km of transit that
we need for an expected urban population of 25 crore in the country’s 100 smart cities. India must
build more transit quicker to relief the transit deficit and keep pace with the needs of its growing
population.
To change course, we need to emphasise cost-effective, efficient public transport systems. One of the
key options for Indian cities is BRT, which can be implemented quickly and at a fraction of the cost
of rail systems (see next section). Cities need to pursue an integrated package of sustainable transport
interventions to meet growing travel demand:

Identify citywide priority networks for public transport, cycling, and walking. Provide at least
200 km of high quality NMT infrastructure per 10 lakh population.

Implement 40 km of high quality, high frequency public transport with a dedicated right-ofway (ROW) per 10 lakh population. Within 10 years, the system should bring rapid transit
service within walking distance of the majority of residences in the city. BRT will be essential
to enable this rapid build-out of public transport.

Organise and price parking resources to manage use of private vehicles. Parking price should
be dynamic and be based on demand, i.e., higher demand should result in higher price. The
revenue from such parking fees should be used to support the implementation of public
transport, walking, and cycling facilities.

Allow increased densities along rapid transit corridors. Increase all allowed floor space index
(FSI) by at least two times within walking distance of dedicated ROW public transport
stations. Restrict the supply of parking to ensure that such densification does not lead to more
traffic, and expand pedestrian infrastructure to provide an alternative to driving.
4. Smart transport investments
Efficient, low-cost mobility options are key to managing mobility in Indian cities. Investments must
reflect the real mobility needs of urban residents—the majority of whom travel by public transport,
paratransit, walking, and cycling. create compact TOD, improve NMT, provide better public transport
and manage the use of private vehicles. Smart investment options include the following:
4.1

BRT.

NMT infrastructure: footpaths and cycle tracks.

Parking management.
Bus Rapid Transit
A BRT provides high-quality, cost-effective rapid transportation to manage the demand for private
vehicle travel. The BRT operates high-quality bus fleet on a dedicated bus lane, with smart ticketing
at stations to enhance passenger convenience and improve efficiency. Its step-less boarding ensures
that the system is universally accessible and helps reduce bus waiting times. An efficient BRT can
accommodate up to 4,000 to 45,000 people per hour per direction that is similar to the capacity of a
Metro; yet, typically costs 10 to 20 times less than a metro system. High capacity BRT systems are
successfully operating in many large cities across the world including Bogotá (Colombia), Mexico
City (Mexico), Seoul (Korea) and Guangzhou (China), often integrated with rail systems and
providing complementary services.
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Figure 6: This high-quality, high frequency BRT system in Quito, Ecuador, features median
stations with metro-style level boarding.
4.2
NMT Infrastructure
Walking and cycling are the most basic urban transport modes for all short-to-medium length travel.
They use scare road space and are more efficient than private motor vehicles. All public transport
passengers and many private vehicle users start and end their trips as pedestrians on public street. A
staggering 35 per cent of commuters in India walk or cycle, and yet most cities lack dedicated,
continuous footpaths or cycle tracks. Smart cities should provide NMT facilities, such as footpaths
and cycle tracks, which are physically segregated, safe and comfortable. NMT facilities must be
designed for all users and activities, including social and economic, to make streets vibrant. Vibrant
streets are treasured by citizens, customers, and retailers whose daily actions ensure its liveliness.
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Figure 7: Wide, unobstructed footpaths and continuous cycle tracks are an important
component of a complete network of facilities for non-motorised transport users.
4.3
Parking management
Parking management is a tool for providing alternatives for private vehicle travel while managing
demand for scarce road space. In most Indian cities the easiest, cheapest and most effective manner to
control the demand for motorized travel is to manage vehicle parking. Unregulated (free or cheap)
parking is a subsidy for private vehicle use. At present, on-street parking is free of charge in most
cities. Parking enforcement mechanisms are limited, resulting in haphazard parking arrangements that
compromise the ability of streets to serve as mobility corridors. To implement a robust on-street
parking management and enforcement system, on-street parking spaces must be regulated, and priced
according to the demand for parking. An expanded and improved parking management system can
help facilitate the efficient allocation of road space, generate revenue for sustainable transport
projects, and encourage a shift to more sustainable modes.
Figure 8: Real-time parking information on website (right) and use of parking meters (right) to
manage use of private vehicles
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4.4
Budgeting for sustainable transport interventions
Below are approximate costs of smart city initiatives. For an urban population of 25 crore in the
country’s 100 smart cities, cities need to build 10,000km of BRT that will cost Rs 220,000 crores;
and, construct 50,000 km of NMT infrastructure that is estimated to cost Rs 150,000 crores.
Table 1.
Initiatives
Cost per km (Rs
Crore)
Km per 10 lakh
population
Total Km
Cost for 100
cities (Rs Crore)
NMT (footpaths, cycle
tracks and greenways)
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200
50,000
150,000
40
10,000
220,000
BRT
4.4.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
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5. Are there alternatives for achieving smart transport?
5.1
Flyovers and road widenings are unsustainable
Relying on old-school solutions, such as widening roads, building flyovers and elevated expressways,
is not viable options for Indian cities. These facilities offer at most short-term and are easily
overwhelmed by the growing numbers of personal motor vehicles. In the absence of BRT, the 100
Smart Cities would require Rs 400,000 crore of road infrastructure, a huge sum compared to the Rs
220,000 crore of building high quality BRT systems.
5.2
Rail modes are costly and take too long to build
The metro systems built in India over the past decade cost Rs 307 crores per km on average. By
comparison, the BRTs built over the same time period cost of Rs 22 crores per km. Thus, the average
cost of implementing metro was fully 14 times that of BRT. Given the cost comparisons, India must
make smart decisions on its transport expenditure. If the 100 Smart Cities were to build metro systems
rather than BRT, the expenditure would amount to Rs 3,070,000 crore, 14 times more as compared to
the Rs 220,000 crore cost of building high quality BRT systems.
6. Benefits of smart transport
Smart City initiatives will have some initial costs but in the long term prove to benefit the city and the
country as a whole. Benefits of implementing the above sustainable transport initiatives in the next 10
years across the 100 cities is highlighted in Error! Reference source not found.. The 100 Smart
cities across India will save Rs 30,000 crores, reduce its pollution levels by 35 per cent and reduce
17,700 road fatalities each year.
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Figure 9: Benefits of introducing sustainable transport initiatives in the next 10 years in the
100 Smart cities across India.
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