Why Delhi Metro failed to reduce surface traffic and city's air pollution

Delhi Metro has one of the lowest passenger-track ratios among the world's major metros, it has fewer cars than required, and unlike peers its stations in heart of the city are few, writes T N Ninan

Delhi’s air pollution won’t go away. On a good day, the air quality index shows a “poor” reading. Desperate authorities are contemplating banning private vehicles. If they go ahead, the chaos that will result can be imagined. Vehicular pollution is of course only a part of the problem, but despite years of struggling with the issue the Delhi government has not increased its bus fleet — which today is smaller than it was 40 years ago when the city’s population was less than a third of what it is today. Additional public transport capacity has been created in the form