Moving India: Delhi caught between lifeline and last-mile of urban mobility

India's cities choke on congestion, pollution, fragmented transport. This six-part series traces the lifelines of urban mobility. Part-I exposes Delhi's stalled buses, crumbling last-mile connectivity

It’s the morning rush. Fresh out of engineering college, 22-year-old Avinash Singh grows restless as he waits for a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus that seems increasingly unlikely to arrive on time. 

  “It’s an everyday story. It takes 20-30 minutes for the bus to arrive, and then we’re stuck in traffic. I can’t afford a cab or an autorickshaw. This is my lifeline,” he bemoans. 

Across the Kapashera bus stand in Southwest Delhi, commuters like him face the dual burden of hazardous air quality and failing public transport. 

Amit Yadav, a 58-year-old clerk in central Delhi, feels he’s