India’s urban transport system lies at the center of a critical debate on inclusivity, accessibility, and civic responsibility. As cities expand at breakneck speed, women face disproportionate exclusion from mobility networks. Inadequate infrastructure and persistent safety concerns restrict both their freedom and workforce participation.
Dismantling barriers in public transit has become urgent. Authorities must rethink last-mile connectivity and embed civic sense into everyday life. From youth-led audits to comprehensive driver training and strict lane discipline, cities need both practical reforms and cultural shifts to serve all citizens—women, persons with disabilities, and diverse communities alike.
At the FICCI Urban Transportation Conclave 2025, The Interview World spoke exclusively with Mitali Nikore, Chief Economist at Strategies2Scale and Founder of Nikore Associates. She examines whether India’s urban transportation system genuinely meets women’s mobility needs. She highlights initiatives that make infrastructure inclusive and explores how effective communication cultivates civic sense in communities. She underscores the importance of introducing civic education early in schools and outlines strategies authorities should adopt to improve last-mile connectivity. She also discusses alternative infrastructure models that address land constraints.
Here are the key takeaways from this compelling conversation.
Q: Does India’s urban transportation system truly meet the mobility needs of women?
A: When discussing urbanization, we must remember that urban development serves everyone, not just the stereotypical 18-to-50-year-old male commuter traveling to work. Women, who comprise half our population, remain severely underserved by our current systems. The data reveals a stark reality: women rarely venture beyond their homes. When I ask women how often they leave their houses, those who aren’t employed typically go out only two or three times per week. This immobility directly correlates with the scarcity of working women, as inadequate public transport actively prevents women from entering the workforce.
We face a critical chicken-and-egg problem. The government envisions Viksit Bharat with 70% female workforce participation, yet we currently stand at just 18% in urban areas. Without safe, accessible commuting options, bridging this massive gap from 18% to 70% remains impossible. We must prioritize the supply side first by establishing secure transit infrastructure for women before we can expect increased workforce participation.
Consider the admission from DMRC itself: first and last-mile connectivity spans 2 to 4 kilometers. We actually need stations every 500 meters to 1 kilometer to create truly accessible transit. Until we achieve that density, women face formidable barriers reaching metro stations from their homes. The distance proves too great, forcing them to navigate fragmented options. Bus stops sit too far away, leaving auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws as costly alternatives. These affordability constraints combine with safety concerns and infrastructure designed without women’s needs in mind to create imposing, unwelcoming systems.
We must dismantle these intersecting barriers, affordability, safety, and hostile design, to build an inclusive urban mobility ecosystem that genuinely serves all citizens.
Q: Are our infrastructures truly inclusive, and if not, what targeted government interventions are needed to bridge the gaps?
A: Imagine this. As you exit the Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport, you’ll notice a large painted symbol on the road indicating a designated drop-off point for persons with disabilities. Yet, right at that spot, there’s a step. The surface isn’t smooth. A wheelchair user simply cannot disembark there, even though the space is marked for them.
So what are we doing? We’re checking a box, but the box itself fails in practice.
To fix this, we need two things.
First, we need audits. Our cities require systematic, annual audits of both new and existing infrastructure. And who can lead this? Students. They are sharp, perceptive, and eager to contribute. Give them a clear checklist and send them out to evaluate whether public infrastructure actually follows the guidelines and meets people’s needs. Every city needs this kind of youth-driven accountability revolution.
Second, we need widespread training. Municipal staff and public transport authorities often want to do the right thing. Many of them personally know or work with people with disabilities. They have empathy; the problem is not indifference. The problem is that they lack the tools, and the language of existing guidelines is far too complex. We must simplify these principles, translate them into everyday terms, and train staff at scale so they truly understand how to implement accessible design.
In short, we already have strong regulations. What we lack is comprehension, capacity, and consistent evaluation. Only when we address these gaps will our infrastructure genuinely serve everyone.
Q: How does effective communication cultivate civic sense in communities?
A: We must communicate through multiple channels, not just one. Many people rely on social media, and they respond well to targeted campaigns. Social media outreach has become non-negotiable. Yet we must go further. We need to reinforce these messages at metro stations, on street corners, in workplaces, in educational institutions, and across public spaces.
Only when we communicate constantly, and everywhere, can we embed civic sense, promote cleanliness, and remind people not to litter. Consider countries like Singapore. They have preserved exceptional cleanliness not only by motivating citizens but also by enforcing strict penalties. Even today, spitting chewing gum in Singapore can cost 4,000 Singapore dollars.
Therefore, we must also decide whether we are ready to move in a similar direction.
Q: Is it time to make civic sense education a mandatory part of schooling?
A: This isn’t happening. Students moving between cities often arrive without understanding their new environment’s culture. They bring their own sensibilities and must adapt to unfamiliar customs. Educational institutions and workplaces must shoulder this responsibility.
Consider my recent visit from Delhi to Lucknow. Lucknow exemplifies the civic sense that eludes larger cities—residents there display a respect for public spaces that has vanished elsewhere. Similarly, in Indore, locals enforce civic standards themselves. Drop litter on the street, and a passerby will tap your shoulder and remind you: “We are a garbage-free city.”
This isn’t merely about tier-2 residents moving to tier-1 cities. The reverse matters equally—perhaps more so. Tier-1 cities currently face greater civic dysfunction than many tier-2 cities, where strong communities still thrive. Communities, resident welfare associations, offices, and schools must all accept responsibility for cultivating civic sense. Without their active participation, these values will continue to erode.
Q: What strategies should authorities adopt to improve last-mile connectivity and curb the operational chaos caused by unregulated e-rickshaws?
A: Our roads demand a complete overhaul. The issue isn’t a lack of roads, it’s a lack of dedicated space for each type of user. Lane segregation offers the solution, but only if implemented correctly. Piecemeal efforts inevitably fail; the city must upgrade its infrastructure comprehensively before rolling out segregated lanes across large swaths simultaneously.
Delhi’s BRT system illustrates this principle perfectly. By confining implementation to a single corridor, planners guaranteed its failure. Contrast this with Ahmedabad, where BRT now thrives because it spans nearly the entire city.
The path forward is clear: we must create dedicated lanes for cyclists, pedestrians, e-rickshaws, two-wheelers, cars, and buses. However, success hinges on city-wide coordination rather than isolated experiments.
Q: Given land constraints, what alternative infrastructure models should we consider?
A: We must reimagine our infrastructure planning. Consider the UK: despite having vast numbers of two-wheelers, e-rickshaws, and diverse electric vehicles sharing the roads, traffic flows smoothly. Drivers stay in their designated lanes even without physical barriers. They understand which lane belongs to cars and refuse to veer into the two-wheeler lane, even when it stands empty.
This discipline stems from rigorous enforcement through constant camera surveillance. London operates the world’s largest network of traffic cameras, continuously monitoring every vehicle. Step out of your designated lane, and you’ll receive an immediate fine. This technology-driven enforcement proves essential.
However, we need more than cameras and lane markings. Driver education forms the critical foundation. Operators must grasp the fundamental differences between piloting an e-rickshaw, a two-wheeler, or a three-wheeler. Each vehicle demands distinct handling and requires drivers to maintain their designated lanes.
Achieving this behavioural shift demands substantial, sustained effort. We must combine zoning strategies, lane discipline enforcement, and comprehensive driver training. Only through this multi-pronged approach can we transform road behaviour and create safer, more efficient transportation systems.
