Urban transportation in India: a tale of two cities

Transportation in India is dominated by road and rail transport which consume 90% of the total transportation energy. Out of this 78% is accounted for by passenger transport. Urban centres, with high density of vehicle population, consume significant quantities of energy for this purpose and contribute to environmental problems. Mumbai (formerly called Bombay), the commercial capital of India, is relatively less transport energy-intensive in comparison with other metropolitan cities, because of its well-developed rail network. The present study analyses the trends in passenger transport in Mumbai over a period of 10 years, from 1987 to 1996. The emphasis is on passenger transport, since significant quantities of petrol and diesel are used by this sector. Passenger transport is disaggregated by vehicle type (two-wheelers - motorcycle/motor scooter -, cars, buses, etc.) and the energy consumption for each mode is estimated. Passenger kilometres, energy intensity and environmental implications are studied. This paper develops some performance indicators and compares the transportation system in Mumbai with that of Bangalore to study their relative effectiveness. © 2000 International Energy Initiative, Inc.