Travel expenses are the highest non-food cost. Rural households spend 7.6%, urban ones 8.5% on commuting. Longer distances and poor transit options increase the burden
Inadequate transit forces reliance on costly private options. Fuel prices add to the burden. Cities like Delhi and Bengaluru struggle with traffic and pollution
Rural areas lack public transport entirely
Better transit expands job opportunities. Mumbai and Kolkata’s local trains enable mobility. The Delhi-Meerut RRTS shows promise, but more such projects are needed
India has only 2.1 million buses for 140 million daily commuters. State-run buses offer affordable fares but are few. BRT systems could help, yet only 10 cities have them
India’s 17-city metro network is slow, costly, and limited in reach. Fares remain high for many. Expanding other transit modes is essential for affordability
India prioritises expensive projects over cost-effective mass mobility. Without better buses, regional transit, and affordability, commuting costs will keep rising