Interesting video specifically on the disappointing state of public transport in India. Major takeaways for me:

  • Many Indian cities are investing in (expensive and flashy) metros, which are posting disappointing ridership numbers, but
  • Most Indian commuters are travelling distances short enough that biking or using rickshaws are quicker
  • India’s metros are significantly more expensive for riders than other methods of transport
  • Bus fleets in Indian cities aren’t growing, while their populations are expanding rapidly
  • Traffic engineers/policymakers suffering from carbrain (sound familiar?)

Interesting watch, I’d say, as a non-Indian who doesn’t see much content about the world’s most populous country posted much

  • kirk781English
    7·
    8 days ago

    The thing about Indian metros is that nearly half of them are built on very low distances. For example, the Agra Metro(home to the Taj Mahal) currently has a operational distance of 6 km only. Jaipur, another tourist site has ~12 km only.

    Cities like Bombay/Mumbai are developing it as an alternative (and much needed there because the suburban trains are creaking there and they are dangerous) but they are yet to reach a sustainable limit. I think Delhi has sorted it. They have covered the whole length and breadth of the city and have nearly 400 km of network length. The ridership numbers are decent there too.

      • kirk781English
        5·
        8 days ago

        Usually, for political purposes the first phase of a metro is hastily inaugurated whilst subsequent phases often linger long. Agra does have a road map for longer metro lines. How long, it will take, especially with changing state and central governments is anybody’s guess. Unlike China, things are slower in India both for political and logistical reasons(like land acquisition sometimes becomes a stumbling factor in associated railway projects).