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Kochi in Kerala holds the greatest promise for the adoption of active and shared mobility, while Bhubaneswar shines in terms of providing a seamless mobility experience, according to the Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) Foundation’s Ease of Moving Index - India Report 2022. The report said that Aizawl (in Mizoram) emerged as a top performer in clean mobility, while Jabalpur has the lowest mobility expenditure. Kolkata leads the way in shared mobility adoption, and Pune boasts of the most inclusive mobility ecosystem.
“Ease of Moving Index - India Report, 2022 is OMI Foundation’s unique attempt to assist policymakers, as they adopt a data-driven approach to decision-making as India moves towards a sustainable and inclusive mobility system”, said OMI Foundation’s Executive Director Aishwarya Raman.
The report was jointly launched by Kunal Kumar, IAS, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission and Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India. It is based on India’s largest survey incorporating responses from 50,488 survey respondents, 220 focus group discussion participants and data from government and other sources.
The EoMI also shares a comparison of key insights from citizens’ reported mobility patterns and perceptions between 2018 and 2022. Out of the 18 cities covered in both editions, 9 have witnessed a rise in public transport usage. Moreover, the comfort level perception has improved in 15 cities since 2018. It was also observed that 12 cities have received higher cleanliness ratings this year, indicating an improvement in the perception of public transport users towards its cleanliness. Walking and cycling are considered the optimal modes of transportation, particularly for first- and last-mile connectivity, and are often contingent on the availability of safe infrastructure, which has also improved since 2018 in the eyes of the respondents.
Comparing the EoMI of 2018 and 2022, it is found that public transport reliability in Bengaluru has increased from 2018 to 2022 in Bengaluru, rising from 30 per cent to 39 per cent. Respondents have also reported a notable improvement in their perception of public transport comfort, rising from 28 per cent to 40 per cent.
Twin cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad score the highest on Ease of Moving in 2022; closely followed by Mumbai and Coimbatore. The report said that Mumbaikars are among the lowest spenders on transport per month. Kolkata has the highest adoption of shared mobility. Ahmedabad has the highest willingness to adopt electric vehicles. The report also said that public transport usage among women and the trans/ non-binary is the highest in Ludhiana. Also, Chennai has among the best cycling infrastructures in India.
“Urban centres are the economic growth drivers in the country, and mobility plays a crucial role in empowering citizens to realize their true potential,” said OMI Foundation’s Managing Trustee and Former Indian Ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale. “ India’s journey towards becoming a $10 trillion economy and beyond has to be fuelled by a sustainable, inclusive and efficient mobility system.”
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The report said Aizawl had one of the lowest fatality per lakh population due to air pollution in 2019 and had among the cleanest air sheds in 2021. It leads cities across clusters in this parameter. The city is also in the process of developing a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) that outlines strategies and builds synergies for clean mobility.
Kolkata has recorded the highest air pollution-related deaths per lakh population across all urban centres. In the recent past, Delhi experiences an airpocalypse every winter, and the high PM2.5 (particulate matter) concentration has impacted the health of citizens. Both cities are on the cusp of revolutionising public bus transport by accelerating the augmentation of electric buses to mitigate transport-related emissions.
The concentration of PM2.5 in Bhubaneswar and Jammu, were the highest amongst ‘Promising Cities’. More than 52 per cent of respondents are willing to buy electric vehicles in Jammu. While Jammu had procured electric buses under FAME-I scheme, Bhubaneswar has procured 50 buses under FAME-II scheme.
The report said Mysuru, scores the highest in clean mobility parameters in this cluster owing to better air quality and lower air pollution-related deaths per lakh population. It also has the cleanest and most hygienic public transport infrastructure as perceived by public transport users.
Varanasi recorded the highest air pollution-related deaths per lakh in 2019 amongst the ‘Rising Cities’. The city also recorded one of the highest concentrations of PM2.5 in 2021 impacting its overall clean mobility scores. The city is augmenting 50 new electric buses which will mitigate some transit-related emissions.
The two cities located in the Gangetic plains, Patna and Lucknow, recorded the highest air pollution-related deaths per lakh population in this cluster. While over 52 per cent public transport users agree that the public transport in Kanpur is clean, hygienic and well maintained, the number of air pollution-related deaths and concentration of PM2.5 levels were among the worst in the cluster.
Nagpur scores the lowest in air quality due to emissions attributed to the thermal power plants located in close proximity to the city. Surat leads the clean mobility parameter with the lowest PM2.5 levels in its cluster. A comparatively higher number of respondents in the city are willing to adopt electric mobility
