Pune tops ease of moving index, Mumbai and Coimbatore follow: Report

Aizawl top performer in clean mobility and Kolkata has the highest adoption of shared

Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad scored the highest in Ease of Moving in 2022, said a survey on Tuesday tracking public transport and mobility.

The twin cities were followed by Mumbai and Coimbatore in Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) foundation’s Ease Of Moving Index (EoMI) India report 2022.

The report was jointly launched on Tuesday by Kunal Kumar, joint secretary and mission director, smart cities mission, and Shombi Sharp, UN resident coordinator in India.  It is based on a survey incorporating responses from 50,488 respondents, 220 focus group discussion (FGD) participants and data from government and other sources.

Aizawl, Mizoram’s capital, was the top performer in clean mobility and has the highest adoption of cashless payments for mobility services.

A total of 12 cities received higher cleanliness ratings this year, indicating an improvement in the perception of public transport users towards its cleanliness, it said.

Kolkata, Bengal’s capital, has the highest adoption of shared mobility and Pune has the most inclusive mobility ecosystem. Mumbaikars were among the lowest spenders on transport per month.

“Adoption of active and shared mobility can collectively reduce emission and congestion. A robust and modern public transport system catering to the needs of all commuters forms the backbone of a functioning shared mobility system,” the report said.

Investment in active mobility infrastructure can also encourage people to lead a healthier lifestyle. The parameter aims to assimilate critical indicators to measure adoption of active and shared mobility in cities, it said.

Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh has the lowest mobility expenditure and Hyderabad leads the future of mobility among mega cities as it has the highest adoption of cashless payments for different mobility services.

Among 'booming cities', Kanpur had the highest adoption of cashless payments for different mobility services, followed by Patna and Lucknow. Also, Kanpur emerged as the safest city to travel on public transport.

The report said Kochi holds the greatest promise for the adoption of active and shared mobility, while Bhubaneswar does well in providing seamless mobility. Public transport usage among women and the trans/ non-binary is the highest in Ludhiana.

Ahmedabad has the highest willingness to adopt electric vehicles.

“Urban centres are the economic growth drivers in the country, and mobility plays a crucial role in empowering citizens to realise their true potential. India’s journey towards becoming a $10 trillion economy and beyond has to be fuelled by a sustainable, inclusive and efficient mobility system,” said Gautam Bambawale, OMI Foundation’s managing trustee and former Indian ambassador to China.