Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, in the presence of Shri. Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA, Shri. Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA, and Shri. Rahul Kapoor, Director, Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA; launched the Stage 2 of the Transport4All Challenge, inviting Indian startups to create digital solutions to reform formal and informal public transport in India.

About Stage 1

More than 130 cities signed up for Stage 1 of the Challenge, launched on 15th April 2021. 100 cities formed a Transport4All Task Force (TTF) with key government stakeholders and governments working in the transport sector, along with academic institutes, non-profit organizations, and IPT unions. Check out the highlights from Stage 1.

Stage 1 saw the biggest public transport data exercise in the country with surveys from 46 cities. These cities successfully conducted surveys with more than 2 lakh citizens, 15,000 bus drivers and conductors and 22,000 informal public transport (autos etc) drivers— making it the biggest public transport data exercise in the country.

These cities—who qualify for Stage 2 of the Challenge—used the surveys findings to develop more than 165 problem statements, that is now curated into a final list of 8 problem statements by the Challenge team.

What next?

Stage-2 of the Challenge is open for startups to develop solutions for the issues and problems identified by the cities.

Startups are now invited to develop contextual solutions and scale them up at a national level for the 8 curated statements. Cities and startups will receive guidance to develop and test various solutions, learn from them, and scale them to build people’s trust in public transport and enhance their mobility. 

The top 1-2 solutions for each problem statement will not only receive awards of up to ₹ 20 lakhs but will have the opportunity to scale up solutions at a national level. 

The startups with working solutions stand to get empanelled with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and access many opportunities to implement their solutions in several cities in the future.

Are you a startup or do you know startups that would like to get involved in a national-level challenge to make a difference in Public Transport?

Head to the Startup India portal and register, before 30th December 2022.

Startups now can get their DPIIT registration till 15th January 2023.

For more information, visit transport4all.in

Where are we in the Three Stages of the Challenge?

The Transport4All through Digital Innovation Challenge comprises three stages:

● Stage I PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face

● Stage II SOLUTION GENERATION: Startups develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs

● Stage III PILOT TESTING: Cities engage startups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback

We look forward to the brightest minds in the country developing solutions to the pressing problems identified by the public to improve facilities for a better future in formal and informal public transport.

We’d like to acknowledge the leadership of the Ministry of Housing and Affairs, Smart Cities Mission, Urban Transport and Association for State Road Transport Undertakings—hosts for the Transport4All Digital Innovation Challenge. We thank our knowledge partners, the World Bank, for bringing their global technical expertise in digital innovation and guiding startups and cities. We also thank the technology platform partners, Ci^x and Startup India, for engaging with startups and for providing a platform for cities and startups to collaborate easily. 

As Co-host and Coordinator for the Challenge, ITDP India provides technical and communication expertise to cities, facilitates capacity-building workshops and one-on-one sessions with them, and sets up peer-learning platforms so cities can learn from one another.

This blog is part three of the “Embracing E-buses” series. To read the previous two parts, click here.

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India’s great electrification wave is here. It’s everywhere you look, and for all the right reasons. Since PM Narendra Modi’s declaration of a new climate target at COP26—pledging to cut India’s total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030, and going net zero by 2070—many Indian cities are prioritising a shift to electric technology. Especially in road transport, which is responsible for 14% of overall carbon emissions in the country.

Indian cities are developing roadmaps to transition to e-buses, but there’s one catch: e-buses don’t come cheap. Priced anywhere between 75 lakhs (USD 93,670) to 1.75 crores (USD 218,500) depending on the bus size and range with a good return of investment over its lifetime, e-buses are desired by all, but affordable only by a few. With e-buses, which are 2.5-3 times the cost of the conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) buses, the upfront purchasing cost poses a major roadblock for operators in owning and operating them. Since 2015, there has been a considerable push from the Government of India to adopt electric vehicles, through the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) I and subsequent FAME II scheme by Department of Heavy Industries (DHI). 

With a total outlay of Rs 10,000 crores, the FAME II scheme aims to accelerate the transition to vehicles and curb transport emissions, by subsidising 7000 e-buses; 5 lakh e-autorickshaws; 55,000 e-cars (including strong hybrid that consists of both combustion engine and battery powered motored), and 10 lakh e-scooters/motorbikes. So far, 5595 buses have been subsidised. State Transport Undertakings—the public entity that manages the operation of buses at the state level—are currently operating 2100 e-buses across India.

While the scheme to financially support STUs for e-bus transition is commendable, an important player seems to have been left behind: private bus operators. It may seem hard to believe, but private buses comprise more than 90% of all buses in the country. As per the Road Transport Year Book (2018-19) by MoRTH, while there are 1.5 lakh public sector buses, operated by various STUS, and about 20 lakh private sector buses.

The sheer volume of private buses on our roads demands that an electrification plan be developed for them. The government’s electrification efforts HAS to penetrate the entire road transport sector, including the private bus industry. E-buses are more cost-efficient to operate compared to diesel/CNG buses, they have a drastically lower environmental footprint as they require lower energy/km to operate, and they emit zero tailpipe emissions, as the only by-product that comes out of the tailpipe is water vapour. E-buses also require lesser maintenance, reducing the maintenance cost and the overall financial cost of operating them.

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To better understand the challenges of the private bus sector, ITDP India spoke with the Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) and other private operators. Here’s what we found:

High upfront capital cost of e-buses, with no subsidy: The high capital cost of e-buses makes it very difficult for private operators to purchase e-buses. Without any subsidy programme from the government, there is no easy leaping for private players into electrifying their fleet.  

Low range of electric buses: Currently, e-buses have a range of 250 to 300 km, whereas, for viable intercity bus operation, e-buses need to cover 600 to 700km with opportunity charging in between. The range has a direct impact on the electrification of these routes. If the range is low, the number of charging cycles will increase, lowering the life span of the battery. This means a need for battery replacement fairly soon.

Difficulty in setting up infrastructure: Setting up charging infrastructure is critical for the private sector to transition to e-buses. Issues in sourcing adequate power supply and setting up charging stations with the current land costs are major concerns.

Unviable financing options: The high capital cost of e-buses, clubbed with a short loan repayment period at high-interest rates, makes it hard for operators to manage the initial four to five years.

Battery replacement costs: After seven to eight years of running the e-bus, the operator has to bear an additional battery replacement cost, that requires a huge intermediate investment.

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E-buses offer a better journey experience, both for the passengers and the drivers. “E-buses have lesser moving parts than the ICE buses, and hence require less maintenance—which makes the maintenance staff happy. E-buses are much easier to drive than ICE buses—which makes drivers happy. E-buses provide a smoother ride with lesser vibrations and noise inside the bus—making passengers happy. Since everyone is happy, there is no reason that e-buses would not succeed”, says Mr Sanyam Gandhi, director of Chartered Speed Ltd., a private entity operating public buses in many cities.

Here are some of ITDP India’s recommendations to enable a successful transition to e-buses for private sector.

Supporting the set up of charging stations through private and public partnership:

The government can support and incentivise setting up charging stations by engaging electricity distribution companies and private sectors, so long as land can be provided within the terminal facilities. The government should initiate dialogue with the private sector to understand their aspirations and requirements to set up charging stations.

Revising the financing mechanism:

Although the cost of an e-bus is two to three times the cost of an ICE bus, the financing tenure offered to the operators for both ICE and e-bus is the same, which is 5 years, which drives up the initial cost to the operator. Since there is no priority funding for e-buses, the interest rate is high. In order to make the financing favourable for private operators, a mandate from the government or RBI stating that e-buses should be financed for a longer period of time needs to be provided.

Incentivise the private sector to offset the high capital cost of e-bus:

While private operators want to shift to e-buses, current policies do not have any subsidies or incentives for them to do this transition without bearing the high costs of outright purchase. The government can explore the possibility of providing incentives to private operators for electrification, either directly or through development banks. These financial institutions can support the state by providing long-term loans/grants at low-interest.

Revising the permit structure to allow the operation of leased buses:

Currently, the permit requirements do not allow the operation of buses on lease. Government, in consultation with other relevant departments and agencies, can work to amend these stringent clauses to support e-bus operation by the private sector.

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Buses, whether operated by government entities or privately, are one of the most affordable and environment-friendly way of moving people from point A to B. E-buses, are even better. As India continues its electrification revolution, voices from all stakeholders need to be captured to create systems and policies that benefit everyone. Going forward, it is critical to understand the perspective of e-bus OEMs, financial institutes, power distribution companies, and most importantly, the government to chart a way holistic vision for e-buses in India, only then can we truly “embrace e-buses”.

Written by: Aishwarya Soni
With inputs from: Faraz Ahmad, Dhruv Soni, and Vaishali Singh

This blog is part two of the “Embracing E-buses” series. To read part one titled “Where does India stand in its e-bus transition?”, click here.

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India got its first ever e-bus in 2014. As of today, there are just about 2,000 e-buses being operated in Indian cities. The transition to e-buses in India has faced some challenges, including its procurement models, that has limited the pace and expansion of electrification. To ensure India meets the ambitious targets it has set for electric mobility, we need to review the procurement models.
Of these models, the Gross Cost Contracting (GCC) model has many advantages for cities, and some challenges. And we need to understand them if we want to overcome the challenges of operating buses—and specifically e-buses—in India.

What we need today is an improved GCC model (hereon referred to as GCC+), which can address the challenges faced under the GCC model, and help both the operators and the STUs run seamless e-bus operations.

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What is the GCC model?

Indian cities either follow an owner-operator model—where the city bus agency owns and operates the buses—or outsources bus operations. This outsourcing is done primarily through one of four models, including:

In the first three models, the investment to acquire the buses is done by the operator whereas in the management contracting, the buses are provided to the operator. In India, cities have mostly used NCC and GCC contract models besides the owner-operator model.

The GCC model requires the operator to procure the e-buses as well as implement the charging infrastructure, which saves cash-starved state transport undertakings (STUs) from making the initial capital investment. For its troubles, the operator is paid based on the number of kilometres the buses are operated.

Before we go into what a GCC+ model can look like, we need to understand the challenges of the current model, starting from the beginning of e-bus procurement in Indian cities.

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The beginning: E-bus procurement under FAME-I Scheme

Battery Electric Bus (e-bus) procurements in India started in earnest with the announcement of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-I) Scheme by the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI), Government of India (GoI) and NITI Aayog in 2015. In the FAME-I scheme, cities had the option to either procure the buses outright or or procure the bus operating service via the GCC route.

10 cities applied for subsidy under FAME-I, out of which five preferred outright procurement and the remaining five opted for the GCC model. Most of these tenders were for 15-40 buses per city. All the outright procurement tenders were successfully placed, although there were delays in delivery by manufacturers as well as in arranging necessary depot and power infrastructure. But all the GCC tenders (except one—Hyderabad) were cancelled due to a variety of reasons. But simultaneously, some other cities—such as Ahmedabad and Pune—were also able to successfully procure e-buses based on a GCC tender, though this was outside the FAME scheme.

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The next phase under FAME-II

FAME-II—an expanded version of the FAME scheme—was announced in 2019, envisaging procurement of 7,090 e-buses. DHI decided to allow only GCC contracts in FAME II. 

Under FAME-II, GoI initially allocated 5,095 buses to 64 cities. Additionally, it also allocated 400 buses for intercity operations, and 100 buses for last-mile connectivity. By December 2021, 18 cities had awarded GCC contracts for 2,965 e-buses. But there was a lot of variation in the bids. 

A few cities had to rebid the tenders due to a lack of response or bid prices higher than expected. Only one state—Uttar Pradesh—conducted a joint procurement for multiple cities, while the rest were tendered for individual STUs. A few cities received per km rates of less than ₹50 whereas some received bids more than ₹80. 

The following factors can be attributed for this variation:

To bring down the per km price, the Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL)—an arm of the state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd.—was tasked to aggregate the demand and float a combined tender on behalf of 9 eligible cities.

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Why the tender by CESL was a success in reducing bus procurement cost

The Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) tender for 5,450 e-buses that closed in April 2022, is by far the largest tender for e-buses in India. Through a process called Grand Challenge – I (GC-I), CESL was able to homogenise the contract conditions and aggregate the requirements of five out of nine cities eligible to access the government incentives (Table 1).

The GC-1 tender resulted in prices reducing 15% to 48%, compared to prices paid in the past. In fact, the prices through this tender were lower than even those of the diesel/CNG buses. 

However, almost every city preferred buses of a different specification, somewhat reducing the benefit of demand aggregation to achieve economies of scale. Reducing the number of bus categories could have increased the benefits even further, although easier said than done. 

The key factors that facilitated the reduction in costs were:

One of these factors —economy of scale—is worth exploring in greater detail.

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Benefit of economies of scale

Recent e-bus tenders show that bidders favoured larger procurements (seen in Table 2). Even with the same level of subsidy, a larger number of buses allows for lower per km rates. 

Despite the maximum subsidy, the bid price for DIMTS tender was the highest whereas the CESL and BEST tenders received the lowest bids even though lower subsidies were offered. Similarly, the subsidy for 9m buses for Nagpur was at least as much as the subsidy available under the CESL tender and yet the bid price was much higher.

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Limitations of the current procurement model

The CESL GC-1 tender and the BEST tender are important milestones in India’s electrification of public transport and have raised the expectations of a continued fall in e-bus per km rates similar to the solar energy price trajectory. Based on the initial success, CESL is targeting to procure 50,000 e-buses over the next 5 years. This means that many more cities will go through the next rounds of procurement. CESL must overcome the following challenges in order to aggregate the demand and achieve even lower e-bus prices:

1. Many cities manage and operate their own fleet and the current GCC model may not suit them.
2. Participating cities may have differing requirements (e.g. requirements of cities vary widely in terms of bus capacity, daily running, air-conditioning, terrain, floor height etc.). This makes it difficult for them to agree on common specifications, which is crucial for achieving economies of scale to reduce the cost of e-bus procurement. 
3. As per the eligibility criteria stipulated for availing FAME-II subsidy, either an e-bus original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or a consortium led by an OEM should be the bidder; or the bidder must have a prior agreement with an OEM to participate in the tender wherein the OEM is required to co-sign the operating agreement afterwards. OEMs prefer to just sell buses, not operate them, since operating city buses carries substantially higher risks. Involving the OEM  in operation of the e-buses in the FAME-I and FAME-II was necessary considering the lack of experience with e-buses, but the OEMs are running out of capacity to take on this additional responsibility in order to sell more buses. It is likely that they would sub-contract the operations resulting in increased contractual risks, and pricing inefficiencies. Besides, this requirement severely limits the number of bidding participants as seen in previous tenders and may prove detrimental for future tender outcomes.
4. With respect to GCC, cities have different levels of credibility based on their track record of working with operators on aspects like finances, contract management etc. This affects which cities OEMs want to work with. In bulk procurement, the OEMs cannot pick and choose the cities they work with. When forced to choose between working with all cities or none in a given category, OEMs may choose to work with none by not bidding at all.
5. E-bus operations have a very high component of fixed expenses, but the current revenue structure, based on the number of kilometres of running, is entirely variable. This creates a contractual risk for the operators since they do not have full control over actual running of the buses.

As mentioned earlier, CESL has achieved considerable optimisation in the GCC model adapted from the operation of diesel buses. What more can be done to overcome the above challenges?

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GCC+ — An alternate compensation/contracting structure to further optimise the GCC Model

Revenue risks often contribute significantly to the overall risk of any business. Aligning the compensation structure to the cost drivers can overcome some of the challenges mentioned above in addition to reducing contractual risks.
This can be achieved by splitting the compensation into following components:

The Bus Availability Fee would primarily depend on the bus specifications and can be homogenised across cities. The Bus Operating Fee can be customised for each city based on local parameters, scale of operations etc. 

This structure can help make the contracting process more flexible for both the STU and the operator. The bus operating component can be made optional so that the STUs who prefer to run the operations may choose only the Bus Availability component (effectively a wet-lease contract). Further, the duration of the two components can even be separate with the Bus Availability contract being of a longer duration while the Bus Operation contract is of shorter duration. 

For example, a similar arrangement is seen in case of  Transmilenio (Bogota) where the procurement of E-bus is split into three parts –

This structure would have many advantages, including:

1. Significantly lower operating risks for the bus provider – The fixed payment eliminates the operating risks to the bus provider other than equipment related risks which can be managed through a contract with the OEM. The operator may even be able to procure the bus on lease.
2. Maximising clean transportation – The apparent variable cost for the STUs under the proposed structure will be much lower than that of the diesel bus since the energy cost of e-bus is much lower than its diesel counterparts. This will incentivise the STUs to maximise e-bus operations.
3. Potential to lower the cost of funds – With a stronger payment security structure, the fixed monthly e-bus availability payments can be securitised and financed at a lower rate. For example, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in conjunction with RBI and Ministry of Power, GoI and the respective state governments has set up a facility for tapping the central devolution of funds to the states to make payment to the power producers in the event of a default by the state-owned utilities. CESL could consider the same to strengthen the payment security mechanism for the e-bus operators. Such an arrangement could actually reduce the subsidy payments from the state governments to the STUs. Another avenue for reducing risk will be to insure/guarantee termination payments.
4. Simplified contract administration – The bid document need not specify any minimum assured kilometres and compensation in the event of over/under achievement, thus simplifying contract administration as well as risk of STUs to pay for under-utilisation.
5. Simpler computation of termination payments – In case of early termination, the operator mainly loses out on the investment component for the remaining period.  With the split compensation structure, a net present value of the future availability fees together with a demobilisation fee could be sufficient compensation.  
6. Potential to lower the capacity costs – With reduced operating risks, the bus provider would be willing to enter into a longer contract period, thus reducing the annual costs further.

Risk: The above split contractual structure, the onus will be on the STUs to ensure optimum utilisation of the e-bus failing which the effective cost could be even more than the current structure. Also, there may be implications on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) payable by the operators/STUs in case bus provision and operations are contracted separately.

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Summing up: Why GCC+

The GCC model of procuring and operating e-buses has some advantages and a few challenges for the cities. We can start addressing some of the challenges by creating a GCC+ model— a split compensation structure that would bring several advantages for the STUs and operators, including lower risks and costs. This will go a long way towards enabling STUs and operators to move faster towards the adoption and operation of e-buses. India is well on its way on the path to electrification of buses, and the GCC+ model can help smoothen the way.

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References

1. https://www.uitp.org/news/aggregation-delivers-more-savings-than-subsidy-in-recent-indian-electric-bus-tenders/ accessed June 18, 2022
2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lowest-ever-prices-in-e-buses-tender-cesl/articleshow/91112542.cms accessed June 18, 2022
3. WRI Blog 
4. https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/commercial-vehicle/mhcv/another-round-of-price-discovery-for-10000-e-buses-coming-soon-adviser-niti-aayog/91172608, accessed June 18, 2022
5. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/renewables/cesl-plans-mega-tender-of-50000-e-buses-over-5-years/articleshow/91948742.cms?from=mdr accessed June 18, 2022
6. Fiscal Incentives to scale up adoption of electric buses in Indian cities; UITP and Shakti Foundation, March 2019

Written by: Sutanu Pati
Edited by: Keshav Suryanarayanan
The opinions presented in the blog are of the author.

Sutanu Pati has over 25 years experience in the fields of transportation, e-mobility, and energy. His areas of expertise include financing, procurement, and public-private partnerships. He is currently engaged as an independent consultant with national and international organisations such as ITDP, WRI, GIZ, RITES, UMTC etc.

Across India, a paradigm shift is happening. Cities are reimagining their streets, as places for people and not just for cars; redefining streets as destinations, and not just a by-pass; redesigning streets to create a thriving environment where everyone can experience their streets in a fun and safe way, at all times, day or night. The result? People love it, and many more are embracing walking and cycling, enjoying their time on the streets!

This is the start of the #HealthyStreets movement—that aims to reduce congestion, air & noise pollution, and carbon emissions across Indian cities. Healthy Streets ensures that everyone—be it an 8-year-old or an 80-year-old—can move safely and comfortably, and breathe clean air. Here’s an illustrated guide of 10 things that make a Healthy Street!

The transformation is happening, slowly but surely. Here are a few cities that have embarked on the #HealthyStreets movement, and are now an inspiration for many other cities to follow too.

Road space is limited, and presently, most of it is occupied by personal motor vehicles—such as cars and two-wheelers. We must ensure that all kinds of users—whether they are on foot, cycling, or using public transport—get an equitable allocation of the road space.

In 2015, road transport emissions contributed to 74,000 premature deaths in India. Unfortunately, people who face the grave consequences of polluted air are not even the ones who cause or contribute to it. With zero emission modes like walking and cycling, and low emission shared modes such as e-buses and e-rickshaws that use clean vehicle technology, cities can move closer to breathing air that’s healthy.

According to a World Bank report published in 2021, India has the highest number of casualties in road crashes—there are 53 road accidents in the country every hour and one death every four minutes. Road crashes claim the lives of about 1,50,000 people and disable at least an additional 7,50,000 each year, a large share of which are pedestrians and cyclists, mainly representing working-age adults from the poorer strata of society.

This is easily preventable—by designing safe streets and strictly enforcing road rules. Cities should design streets that reduce conflicts between motor vehicles and vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists and encourage safe driving.

The two simplest, most affordable modes of transport deserve to be a comfortable experience for everyone. When walking and cycling is made safe and attractive—with wide, continuous footpaths, segregated cycle tracks, regulated on-street parking, managed vending, shaded seaters, and play zones—everyone would choose to walk and cycle instead!

Public transport is the pulse of every city that has the power to connect people to opportunities. 70% of Delhiites use public transport to commute to work, as per the 2019 Socio-Economic Survey report. Public transport, especially buses, is often the most affordable means of transport for the majority, especially for women. Most of these public transport trips typically start or end with a walk, or on a cycle.

By ensuring that public transport services are within easy reach and interconnected by walking and cycling facilities, and that stops provide safe shelter for everyone at all times, would enable more people to use the services conveniently.

Our streets need to cater to people of all demographics, age groups, and abilities. A large group of our population: caregivers with infants and toddlers; the elderly; and people with disabilities—are often left out in urban design and transport planning, severely impacting their independent mobility.

Cities must ensure that transport infrastructure meets the needs of these vulnerable groups, by ensuring streets and public transport are universally accessible.

An article by Safetipin notes that street harassment disproportionately affects women throughout their lives. It is part of a larger epidemic of violence posing a significant threat to women’s autonomy, and ultimately, it becomes a violation of consent in public, driving women to retreat to private spaces and curtailing their freedom. 

Vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly need to feel safe on our streets and in public spaces. Cities must eliminate opportunities for crime on their streets through programming, better design, ample lighting, and activity management. 

Streets are important social spaces that enable us to interact with other people and the environment.

Cities must think of streets as vibrant public spaces that invite everyone—including women, children and the elderly—to spend more time outdoors and socialise, thus improving the mental and physical well-being of citizens. When streets are designed for walking and cycling, they become platforms for unplanned interactions and help foster a sense of community.

There is a strong correlation between well-designed streets and its impact on local businesses. When streets allow people to move comfortably without any conflicts with traffic, are well shaded, and have amenities for them to sit and rest, they tend to spend much more time on the street, which results in a sales boost for local vendors and shops. Cities can enhance livelihoods by integrating street vending and local retail businesses in street design.

It isn’t uncommon to see streets inundated with water, following a spell of heavy rains. Footpaths get slippery, posing a risk for the ones who are running for shelter. Our streets need to be resilient to such weather changes and be usable by people all year round.

Cities need to use materials and designs that enhance the life of infrastructure, ease maintenance, and are responsive to the environment. Underneath the footpath, utility lines such as water supply, electricity, street lighting and other fixtures, stormwater, sewage, and telecommunications must be routed via ducts or trenches, accessed through conveniently placed manholes. Gratings that lead to catchment pits should be provided. Cities must also choose the right kind of surface treatment to ensure footpaths are durable and long-lasting.

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Through the India Cycles4Change and Streets4People Challenge—an initiative of the Smart Cities Mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and ITDP India—39 cities are accelerating their transformation towards creating #HealthyStreets. With the test-learn-scale mantra, cities are working with residents and experts to implement permanent walking and cycling-friendly infrastructure, create institutional reforms, and build momentum for more walking and cycling-centric cities.

With such widespread enthusiasm for creating people-friendly cities in India, we hope to see many more paragons of #HealthyStreets in the future! Stay tuned.

In India, the transport sector is responsible for 14% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. In light of the nation’s recent commitment to net-zero emissions by 2070, Indian cities have a unique opportunity to skip the usual stages of gradual and marginal improvements to public transport and fuel efficiency. What India needs is an urgent and ambitious vision to overhaul its public transport system. And e-buses may be the answer.  

Cities need to improve and strengthen their transport systems and augment the number of buses on the streets. Buses can move people across cities more efficiently—in lesser space and at lower cost—and more affordably than any other transport mode. As of 2019, India had only ~30,000 buses to meet the needs of over 471 million people living in urban areas. As per the benchmarks laid out by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, cities require 60 buses per lakh population, and thus India needs an additional 1,45,000 buses to adequately serve the travel needs of citizens. India is operating at less than one-fifth of the buses that it needs.

Given the number of people who travel in every bus, the amount of tailpipe emission per passenger per trip is already low in even diesel and CNG buses. This can further be brought down to ZERO if we can accelerate the transition to electric buses. Here’s why e-buses are better.

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Why e-buses are better

Studies show that e-buses are more cost-efficient to operate compared to diesel/CNG buses, especially with rising fuel prices. In the case of Pune’s PMPML, the fuel cost/ km for 9m and 12m e-buses is ₹5.8 and ₹6.6 respectively, which is about one-third of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) buses.

E-buses have a drastically lower environmental footprint as they require lower energy/km to operate. Compared to diesel buses, e-buses have zero tailpipe emissions. They also provide a much better service to passengers—smoke-free rides, smooth rides. As per an April ’22 survey conducted by PMPML in association with ITDP India among e-bus commuters, 78% of respondents prefer to travel by e-bus because of less noise and vibrations. 

With fewer moving parts, e-buses require lesser maintenance, reducing the maintenance cost and the overall financial cost of operating them. They are also more reliable and have a lower trip cancellation rate, improving the quality of service. The benefits are umpteen, so it is advisable for urban bus operators to transition to e-buses.

Since 2015, India has seen multiple schemes to promote the transition to e-buses, by subsidising the cost of their purchase for cities. However, the road to transition is replete with its own set of challenges. Most city & state transport undertakings (STUs)—the agencies responsible for public bus operations in India lack the technical knowledge to procure, deploy, and manage e-bus fleets optimally. Several STUs also face funding gaps and do not have budgets to make direct purchases, leading to slow uptake of these schemes.

In this blog, we investigate the current status of e-buses in India, and how close (or far?) we are to a 100% transition. 

How cities are procuring more e-buses

FAME-I

To accelerate the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles—such as 2-wheelers, cars, 3-wheelers, and buses—the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) launched the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) Scheme in 2015 under the National Electric Mobility Mission. FAME was a subsidy programme for electric vehicle manufacturers as well as providers. Under the scheme, the State Transport Undertakings (STUs) were given subsidies to procure public electric buses and install the required charging infrastructure.

FAME-I offered two options for STUs—Outright purchase and Gross Cost Contract, with subsidies from the Government of India. For the purchase of e-buses, which typically cost between 75 lakhs (USD 93670) to 1.75 crores (USD 218500) depending on the battery size, DHI offered two kinds of demand incentives:

Five cities (Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur) invited bids under GCC, and the rest (Indore, Lucknow, Kolkata, Jammu and Guwahati) went ahead with the outright purchase of buses. However, the rollout of buses has been slow in many states due to a variety of reasons. Tenders have been cancelled in Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur—all cities that chose to go ahead with GCC except Hyderabad—while buses have been pressed into service in the rest.

Under the GCC model, the tender conditions, bus requirements, and range requirements were vastly different across cities, leading to a considerable variation in prices. Cities requested for 9m/12m buses, AC and non-AC variants. Another notable difference was in terms of the city’s range requirements (assured km per day). Kolkata, for example, had one of the lowest requirements at 150km/day while Hyderabad asked for 225 km/day. The tender documents also revealed that some cities pushed the cost of electricity onto the GCC operators, while others chose to pay for it themselves. This also led to a lot of tenders getting cancelled.

By the end of the FAME-I scheme, 10 cities received the subsidy, and a total of 425 e-buses were deployed:

The steep costs of electric buses were worrying—compared to diesel buses, electric buses were 2-3 times more expensive, and hence many transport undertakings were not in favour of deploying the new technology, especially through direct purchase.

FAME-II

In 2019, the Government of India approved Phase II of the FAME Scheme, with total budgetary support of INR 10,000 Crore (USD 1.3 billion). FAME-II focussed on the electrification of public & shared transport. Through this scheme, DHI intended to support the procurement of 7090 e-buses, with a total outlay of about INR 3500 Crores (USD 450 million). 

For a city to be selected, it needed to meet two criteria—one was that the state had an Electric Vehicle policy; and two, it had a provision to waive the registration charges and road taxes for electric vehicles. FAME-II also mandated procuring buses through a ‘Gross Cost Contract’ (GCC). Under FAME-II, DHI offers a maximum demand incentive of INR 55 lakhs (USD 71k) per bus for 10-12m buses, INR 45 Lakhs (USD 58k) for 8-10m buses, and  INR 35 Lakhs (USD 45k) for 6-8m buses.

FAME-II received a tremendous response—86 proposals from 26 States and Union Territories for the deployment of 14,988 e-buses. After a thorough evaluation, the Government of India sanctioned 64 City & State Transport Undertakings to procure 5095 e-buses for intra-city operations; 400 e-buses for inter-city operations; and 100 e-buses for last-mile connectivity to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). 

DHI approved the highest number of e-buses for the state of Maharashtra (725 e-buses), followed by Uttar Pradesh (600 e-buses), Gujarat (550 e-buses) and Tamil Nadu (525 e-buses), while other states received a sanction of less than 500 e-buses. 

As of Dec’ 2021, 2965 buses have either been deployed/received a supply order or received extension to issue a supply order, as part of the FAME-II scheme.

Grand Challenge

A lot of cities were not able to utilise FAME-II assistance, as many e-bus suppliers quoted significantly higher prices during the FAME-I scheme, owing to higher liabilities such as setting up of charging infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted many cities’ plans to procure e-buses under the scheme. Tenders were cancelled in several cities. 

To bring down the per km price, Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL)—an arm of the state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd.—was tasked to aggregate the demand and float a combined tender on behalf of all 9 remaining cities with more than 4 million population, on the GCC model. The STUs were invited to express their interest to aggregate the demand. As a result, CESL rolled out a tender for 5,450 buses worth INR 5,500 crores (USD 706 million), seeking bids for e-bus operations in five cities: Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Surat. Tata Motors has emerged as the lowest bidder across all five operational categories. Because of the mass tender, the bid received were less than ₹50/km for 12m buses.

Other Schemes

Outside FAME-I and II, many state and city governments have shown interest in procuring electric buses, with a majority opting to procure e-buses under the GCC model.

Pune’s public bus operator, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd., procured 25 9m variant e-buses and 125 12m variant e-buses, with funding from the Smart Cities Mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. As this procurement was done outside the FAME schemes, the Municipal Corporations of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad decided to provide an upfront subsidy of INR 50 lakhs/bus (USD 65,000) through the Smart City Funds. 

Other states have also issued Request for Proposals (RFPs) for e-buses, with fleet sizes ranging from 10 to 500. Delhi is the largest of them all. DIMTS, the Special Purpose Vehicle that manages the city’s cluster bus operations, has already initiated the process to procure 375 12m variant AC e-buses. 

In 2019, the Government of Tamil Nadu received a loan of INR 1,600 crore (USD 200 million) from KfW, the German state-owned development bank, to procure 2,000 e-buses, of which 500 would be procured under outright purchase by 2022 in Phase-I.

How cities can procure more e-buses

To meet its current public transport needs, Indian cities need 1,75,000 buses, while presently they have only 35,000 buses operated by STUs. Of these, around 2000 are electric. The gap is wide, but not insurmountable.

Funding under the FAME schemes and from other sources have accelerated the procurement of e-buses and the adoption of the Gross Cost Contract model in Indian cities. Going forward, cities require similar sustained financial support to enable a 100% transition to e-buses. 

The procurement of e-buses is only the beginning, and states need to identify sustainable funding sources to keep e-bus operations up and running. States and cities should consider setting up Urban Transport Funds (UTF), which will not only help sustain the operations of e-buses but also help cities maintain high-quality service. Tamil Nadu, for example, has used loans from development banks to improve and expand their bus operations, and other STUs must also consider such methods of financing.

Most STUs currently lack the knowledge to plan and operate e-buses. As cities procure more and more e-buses, it’s essential that public transport operators now equip themselves technically to deploy and utilise upcoming e-bus fleets efficiently and effectively. As Indian cities embark on this transition, a capacity development programme and peer-to-peer learning for city officials across the country would go a long way towards ensuring cities have all the support they need to make our transition to 100% e-buses in Indian cities.

Stay tuned to the next part of the series where we see how cities can choose among the different types of procurement models in India, for a faster and smoother transition to e-buses.

Written by: Aishwarya Soni
Edited by: Keshav Suryanarayanan
With inputs from: Vaishali Singh and Dhruv Soni

To encourage more people to cycle and build a strong cycling culture in the city, Silvassa Smart City Ltd., in partnership with ITDP India and UrbanMorph, rolled out a pan-city Cycle2Work campaign for industries and organisations at a launch event on Thursday, 21st July’22. The campaign calls for employees to reconsider their every mobility choice—to shift from cars and motorbikes, and cycle to their workplace instead, building health while saving the planet. Silvassa’s efforts have inspired many other officials from India to launch Cycle2Work in their cities. 

Through repeated positive experience, Cycle2Work has the potential to nudge behaviour change, and ingrain a cycling habit among people.

Opening the event, Ms Charmie Parekh, CEO, Silvassa Smart City Ltd., said:

“Cycle2work is a great initiative for companies to encourage their employees to stay healthy and reduce carbon emissions. Parallelly, we will also improve cycle infrastructure to make Silvassa a cycling city.”

One and half months of testing and learning

Silvassa launched the test phase of Silvassa Cycle2Work on World Cycling Day on 3rd June 2022. Post a successful 45 days of testing and learning with six industries, the test phase concluded, and all industries and organisations in Silvassa are now invited to join the campaign and promote cycling to work amongst their employees. 

Silvassa followed a four pronged approach for the test of the campaign: Onboard, Engage, Incentivise, and Monitor

Onboard

To effectively measure the shift in user behaviour and uptake of cycling in the city, there was a need to have a single platform where the cycle2work rides would be tracked. Cycleto.work, an innovative open-source platform created by UrbanMorph, gamifies cycling for commute through a leaderboard. Here, individuals can check how they stack up against others within their company as well as in the city, country, and even around the globe! Currently, more than 450 organisations are registered on the platform.  

Cycleto.work shows you:

• How many cyclists from a company have enrolled 
• The leaderboard position of the company in comparison to other cycleto.work companies
• Fuel savings
• Carbon offset
• Routes that are used by the cyclists

and several other features!

Engage

Each of the industries appointed “Cycling Ambassadors”—an inidividual who can champion the cause of cycling and can dedicate time towards this initiative. The Ambassadors encouraged their respective teams to sign up on the cycleto.work platform and track their rides. They motivated them through active outreach through posters, emails, and meetings. They also spotlighted stories of the individuals who cycled to work—including those from senior leadership—on social media and on the company websites.

Incentivise

Industries also provided facilities and incentives to keep up the cycling momentum.

Most industries installed cycle parking stands at their premises. Some installed locker facilities to safely store the employee smartphones, as some industries prohibited their usage inside the premises. Other facilities such as showers, changing rooms were also being considered.

Incentives were broadly of three kinds:
1. Milestone-based gifts: Some industries gifted every new registration with a helmet, water bottle, and head light. They also rewarded the cyclists for each milestone they achieved: a t-shirt for completing 200km, a thermos water bottle for completing 400km, and a bag for completing 600km.

2. Money rewards: Some Ambassadors were offered token money to motivate others in the organisation to join as well. One industry also considered an allowance of Rs 500 for those who cycled to work.

3. Certificates and recognition: Industries acknowledged the employees who cycled to work with certificates of appreciation.

Monitor

Progress was regularly monitored on a Whatsapp group with the Industry ambassadors, and through weekly leaderboard updates.

During the test phase, the six industries steadily jumped the ranks of the leaderboard as several employees embraced cycling as their everyday mode of commute. As of July, four out of the six industries were listed in the top 25 rankings.

The impact

Together, the six industries have completed 377 rides, saved 305 litres of fuel, and offset 706kgs of carbon emissions!  

We’re excited to see the impact scale up with all organisations and industries in Silvassa joining the campaign.

Way forward for cycling in Silvassa

As the number of cyclists in the city grows, Silvassa must create the right systems to promote and sustain cycling. ITDP India will work with Silvassa on a charting a holistic plan—getting support from all concerned stakeholders (such as the traffic police), creating a cycling network, and ensuring high-quality designs for cycling infrastructure.

To accelerate and scale up walking & cycling initiatives across the country, the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in partnership with ITDP India, Directorate of Urban Land Transport and Bengaluru Smart City, organised the first ‘Healthy Streets Capacity Building Workshop’ on 7th & 8th of July 2022.

More than 100 City officials across 37 cities—consisting of CEOs & Engineers— participated from all over India. It was heartening to meet each other in person after a bout of online workshops owing to the pandemic.

The 2-day workshop focussed on how cities can create and scale up high-quality #streetdesign projects—through presentations, panel discussions with city officials, and site visits. 

The workshop included sessions on building the foundation for institutional reforms, propelling action for permanent street transformation, and leveraging campaigns and outreach to build walking and cycling habits among citizens.

Find all the presentations and session recordings, right here in this blog!

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Overview of 2023 Goals & Submission Timelines

View the presentation here

With over 35 cities progressing into Stage 2 of the India Cycles4Change and Streets4People Challenges, and more than 50 cities signed up for Season 2, it is time to reflect on the pilot interventions done by cities have done so far and learn from them. In the introductory session, Aswathy Dilip shared the journey of front-runner cities that have demonstrated impactful implementation of Healthy Street pilot projects, and are now moving towards scaling up their efforts.

Aswathy also shed light on the six steps that have led to great streets in cities across the country, and even across the world:

Cities are now marching towards the Healthy Streets, Healthy Cities: 2023 goals. Cities have proposed to complete over 2000kms of permanent street transformations by 2023, and are currently implementing nearly 1900kms.

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Importance of good street design: Do’s & Dont’s

View the presentation here

In the first knowledge sharing session, Pranjal Kulkarni highlighted that while scaling-up the street transformations in India, it is important to get the design and execution right.

Issues like poor design and details of footpaths, designs that lack an understanding of the local context, poor execution, poor material selection, lack of stakeholder coordination, and lack of enforcement, render the footpaths unusable—forcing people to walk on the carriageway. The session pointed out the need to implement Healthy Streets, that ensures everyone – be it an 8 year old or an 80 year old – can move safely and comfortably.

While creating Healthy Streets across the city, it is important to take up new streets, but also redesign streets that were previously executed.

Here are the next steps for cities to create Healthy Streets:

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Relooking at project implementation & costs

View the presentation here

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Discussion with three cities on their challenges & learnings on planning, design, implementation

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Institutionalising campaigns to make walking and cycling a habit

Through the Challenges, more than 50 cities have conducted open street campaigns, tested on-ground interventions, and hosted cycle rallies towards nudging a walking and cycling habit among citizens. In her session, Kashmira Dubash emphasised the importance of institutionalising campaigns— as people need repeated positive experiences of walking and cycling, before changing their ingrained habit of using private motor vehicles.

Institutionalising campaigns puts in place a system to support the city in scaling up walking and cycling events as a recurring campaign. Regular campaigns ensure that citizens can experience their streets; embed mobility-related behavioural change; and demonstrate proof of concept.

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Park it Right – Design, Pricing, Enforcement

View the presentation here

Parking, if not planned, can reduce the usability of footpaths and cycle tracks, and unmanaged parking acts as a deterrent for people to walk and cycle. In his session, Parin Visariya highlighted the need to first manage on-street parking through design & pricing. This will automatically create a market for off-street parking, driven by the private sector.

In most Indian cities today, unmanaged parking often causes spot-level traffic jams, and on-street parking is often difficult to find in markets. Yet parking lots often lie vacant and private off-street parking remains under-utilised.

Cities can park it right through three key elements:

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Bengaluru’s parking policy & parking management system

View the presentation here

View the presentation here

Learning from Bengaluru’s best practices

As part of the two-day workshop, officials from the Bengaluru Smart City gave an overview of their projects, and led site visits for participants to learn from the city’s street design projects and parking management system.

Participants unanimously echoed the value of learnings from on-ground experience and peer-to-peer learning through the workshop. Cities like Kochi, New Town Kolkata, Chandigarh are keen to adopt a parking policy and initiate an on-ground parking management system. Many cities have also expressed the need to hire good urban designers & planners as part of their teams, and onboard expert design consultants for the projects. 

Written by: Sophiya Islam
Edited by: Aishwarya Soni

 Wrapping up an exciting stage 1!

Earlier this month, Sri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, announced the 46 top runner cities of the Transport4All Challenge Stage 1—the cities which now qualify for Stage 2.
Also unveiled: ‘Analysis of Public Transport Needs in India’, an in-depth publication about Stage 1, the survey analysis, and the problem statements. 

Driven by the vision to improve public transport for all users—everyday passengers; bus drivers and conductors; auto, rickshaws, and other informal mode drivers—through the power of tech and digital innovation, here’s what we collectively achieved in Stage 1 of the Challenge. 

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1. Over 130 cities and 200 NGO partners signed up for the Challenge

Launched in April’21 by the Smart Cities Mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Challenge invited cities from all over India to participate—to understand the problems plaguing public transport, work with startups and citizens to create and test solutions, and then scale them up across the city. 

130 cities from across India signed up for the Challenge.

Transport4All, as the name suggests, is about creating better public transport for everyone, be it the passengers or the service providers. At the core of the Challenge are people, and to ensure their representation and participation, the Challenge invited NGOs to join hands with cities.

Over 200 civil society organisations, research organisations, and educational institutes came forth and signed up to support their cities—making it one of the largest collective working towards reforming public transport.

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2. 100 cities created ‘Transport4All task forces’

For a seamless experience, public transport systems need to function as a single system. That, however, is not the case in India. This is because in a city—

• Different government agencies are responsible for different infrastructure for a bus system. For example, in Chennai, the bus fleet is operated and maintained by the State Transport Undertaking-MTC, whereas bus stops are created and maintained by the road-owning agency—either the Greater Chennai Corporation or the Highways department, depending on the road.  
• Each public transport mode—the public bus, the metro, the suburban rail—is owned and operated by independent bodies.   
• Development authority governs the nature and extent of buildings in different parts of the city, which affect the usability of public transport modes.  
• Traffic police oversee matters such as vehicle rerouting, dedicated bus lanes, and parking which directly affect how buses and shared modes service passengers.  

Now, imagine if all of these agencies come together under one roof.

That would change how decisions are made and projects are implemented. Through a single Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTAs) like this, creating transport systems becomes more integrated, coordinated, collaborative, and most importantly, faster. 

Transport4All Challenge made that happen.

100 cities created ‘Transport4All Task Forces’—like mini-Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities, that brought together all stakeholders and departments responsible for public transport in the city into one big collective. These are the Municipal Corporation, Smart City Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), City Bus Undertaking, Metro and Suburban Rail, Regional Transport Office, Traffic Police, and Road Owning Agencies. 

To represent Informal Public Transport (IPT) and citizen voices, IPT unions and NGOs too were included. Technical experts and academic institutes working in the field of sustainable mobility were also part of the Task Force, to provide expertise and guidance.

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3. 46 cities surveyed 2 lakh citizens, 17K bus drivers and conductors, and 22K IPT drivers

Before cities designed solutions, they needed to pin down the problems that people—both passengers as well as drivers and conductors—faced. In what was one of India’s largest public transport data exercises, 46 cities—out of 130 cities—engaged with these stakeholders by asking them about their everyday issues with buses and shared modes like autos, vans, and rickshaws.

Survey volunteers went to neighbourhoods in different parts of the city and spoke with citizens of varied gender, age, and incomes; chatted with commuters near bus stops and recorded their concerns and suggestions; sat with groups of shared mode drivers and held focussed discussions. Responses were then fed into an automated data analysis system, to draw insights and inferences.

For the first time, cities had data—local, specific, disaggregated—to guide and direct them to the problems that needed fixing.

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4. 46 cities submitted 165 problem statements

Public transport data—that was previously assumed, misunderstood, or simply unavailable—now had strong evidence. The survey questionnaires covered several topics on public transport—safety, convenience, services, fare payment, passenger information, as well as fleet maintenance, scheduling, permits—and the emerging data stories revealed the issues that needed attention and intervention.

Through a guided framework, cities were able to translate these specific issues into problem statements, and what needs to be done to address them.

Of the several problem statements, each city had to prioritize the top five, in consultation with their Task Force. After a rigorous 8-month-long process of data collection, scrutiny, and analysis, 46 cities successfully submitted 165 problem statements and qualified for Stage 2 of the Transport4All Change.

Our heartiest congratulations to the 46 Champion Cities!

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5. 10 problem statements curated, will now lead to digital solutions

The Transport4All Challenge team studied each of the 165 problem statements and recognised how multiple problem statements fed into one or more of the five solution areas, such as:

• Service monitoring and planning 
• Passenger information & interaction
• Fare products and payment
• Financing, procurement, and regulation
• Prioritisation of bus transport

Finally, the team curated 10 problem statements that need tech-based solutions,( and an additional 4 that require non-technology solutions)—to tackle the 165 problem statements submitted by the cities.

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Curious to know more about the survey insights and problem statements? Head to transport4all.in and read our in-depth publication:

Looking forward to stage 2!

Launching in July’22, Stage 2 of Transport4All Challenge will connect cities and startups to innovate and create tech-based, digital solutions for the 10 curated problem statements to make formal and informal public transport safe, reliable, and convenient for all. 

Startup innovations have immense potential, and we are eager to see how they positively contribute and impact the public transport sector.

Thank you for following our work in Stage 1, and stay tuned as we bring you more stories from Stage 2!

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The Transport4All Challenge is a collaboration between Smart Cities Mission, Urban Transport MOHUA, World Bank, CiX, and Startup India, with ITDP India as the co-host and technical knowledge partner.

World Bicycle Day gives us an opportunity to renew our commitment towards cycling, to build more partnerships and to think big for the days that are going to come before us. Let us realise that the magnitude we are dealing with in our cities is immense. Therefore, whatever we are doing at the moment has to scale-up.

Let this be the year when your city comes out on top as far as bold, future-oriented, citizen-centric policies are concerned. Let us work as a team to make this a cycling year for our country.

– Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs

On June 3rd 2022, India celebrated World Bicycle Day akin to a nationwide festival. People across all genders & ages—women, children, and elderly—came riding fearlessly on their cycles and took over their streets. Over 50 cities from all over the country brought communities together for cycle rallies, women-only cycle rides, cyclothons, and much more. 

Thousands of citizens and city leaders cycled as part of the ‘One-day Cycling Challenge’, and committed to cycle more—for work, errands, and for health! For the first time, over 40 cities conducted knowledge-sharing sessions for citizens to embrace cycling. Cities also pledged to institutionalise campaigns, adopt progressive policies, and set systems to create a safe walking and cycling environment for all. These cycling celebrations were not just for a day, but continued across the entire week, from the 3rd to the 10th of June!

^{Citizens flock to the streets of India en masse for World Cycling Day}

Celebrating two years of the India Cycles4Change Challenge

City leaders & officials, cycling champions & cycle manufacturing industries from all over India connected virtually on a session by the Smart Cities Mission— to celebrate two years of the India Cycle4Change Challenge and to reflect on the journey so far.

The India Cycles4Change Challenge—hosted by the Smart Cities Mission of the Housing & Urban Affairs and co-hosted by ITDP India—aims to inspire cities to create cycling-friendly streets and neighbourhoods, where everyone can safely and comfortably cycle, regardless of their class, gender, age, or ability.

Over the last two years, the Challenge has inspired over 100 cities to collectively transform India into a cycling-friendly nation. Cities have proposed and initiated on-ground transformation of nearly 4000 kms, mobilising nearly 2000 civic groups & individuals to take action, and hosted more than 400 citizen events.

The India Cycles for Change Challenge has been an amazing platform for all the cities to try new things. When we started putting cycle lanes in the Indian scenario we realised the hurdles that we need to overcome. The Challenge has given the opportunity for cyclists like us to engage positively with government agencies to provide solutions.

– Sathya Sankaran, Bicycle Mayor, Bengaluru

To ensure an inclusive design and planning process, cities have onboarded women as part of the decision-making committees. Cities tested ideas like cycle training schools, women-only cycle rallies, free cycle repair clinics, and cycle donations for the needy, and cooperative cycle rental schemes. 

Silvassa Smart City team urged mothers to pick up the long forgotten habit of cycling, assisted them in brushing up their cycling skills, and reinvented the confidence they lacked. Going to the neighbourhoods, talking to them, engaging them helped us reach more and more citizens.

– Charmie Parikh, CEO, Silvassa Smart City

Leading by example, city officials cycled to work, highlighting the ease of mobility and benefits of cycling, and inspiring their citizens to cycle too! Following this, several cities are now partnering with private organisations and corporates to incentivise their employees to cycle to work.

The India Cycles4Change Challenge has changed the way we look at cycling, from a poor man’s vehicle to a status symbol. During the challenge, the leaders were on cycles, and therefore, the perspective has now changed. We hope to continue this momentum together.

– Bhairrvi Joshi, CEO, BYCS India

Moving towards long-term change

We have come a long way with two years of the India Cycles4Change Challenge, and today is a testament of that. The day started with political leaders, mayors, MPs, city leaders, commissioners, engineers and their teams alongwith citizen champions and cyclists from cities across the country, all of us cycling on our streets.

I hope all of you will continue putting the efforts to cycle more often and more importantly continue taking the steps to adopt policies that prioritise cycling.

– Aswathy Dilip, Managing Director, ITDP India

Demonstrating their commitment to transform themselves into cycling-friendly cities, on World Bicycle Day over 20 cities pledged to adopt the “Healthy Streets” Policy, which prioritises walking, cycling, and public transport to enable all citizens to safely access work, education, social opportunities, and other essentials. Over 20 cities started work towards implement “30 KMPH Slow Streets” to reduce the risk of fatalities for pedestrians and cyclists, and to institutionalise “Open Streets” programmes so people can experience their streets as open, public spaces, week after week!

We have a dedicated technical cell for Cycles4Change in Jabalpur and we have notified our Healthy Streets policy after stakeholder consultations. We are now scaling up our interventions to implement permanent on-ground works using learnings from Stage 1 of the Challenge.

– Sambhav Ayachi, Deputy Commissioner, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation

Cities are now working towards scaling up cycling initiatives and bringing long-term resilience through city-wide cycle network plans, policy adoptions, and institutional setups.

In July 2022, a dynamic leaderboard will be launched to showcase the cities’ performance and progress based on the initiatives taken towards the identified goals for 2023. It will also be a tool to build support for scaling up and securing funding & investments.

Celebrating the #HumansWhoCycle

To celebrate the diversity of the bicycle and its users, we at ITDP India spoke to people from different walks of life and heard from them the story of what keeps them pedalling.

Popular Tamil actor Arya shared not just his story but also an important PSA about cycling and the myriad benefits it offers.

And closer home, ITDPians too told the world why they love to cycle!

We hope that cities and citizens continue to build on this cycling momentum and celebrate it every single day, all year round! And you can do your bit towards this, too. Swap your motor vehicle with a cycle for your short trips—start with 5km and lesser, and then consider doing longer trips too. Choose to commute to work by cycle. Offer time to train others to cycle, especially women and children. Participate in cycle donation programmes. And most importantly, nudge your close friends and family members to cycle too.

The more people cycle, the more visible the community becomes, the stronger the cycling revolution becomes!

Written by: Sophiya Islam & Aishwarya Soni