One day. Three commuters.
5:30 AM: Selvi, a 23- year-old walks 20 minutes to a bus stop with no light as streetlights are not planned to illuminate walking paths.
8:00 AM: A few hours later, Rajeshwari, a 35-year-old is dropping her son to school by foot. She’s seen walking on a tightrope of the dusty road edge as large trucks zoom by, as school streets are also commercial and industry access streets.
5:00 PM: Muthusamy is exhausted by the end of his work shift. However now a longer wait awaits him, for a bus that may not come. He’s seen squatting on the road, as the narrow concrete bench at the shelter is already occupied.
Erode’s mobility crisis is not abstract. It is lived, daily, by hundreds of thousands.
Erode is a city presenting a striking paradox. While on one hand, 63% of daily trips rely on sustainable modes of transport, in sharp contrast, city lacks essential pedestrian infrastructure, adequate public transport coverage, and safe, comfortable access to transit. At the same time, vehicle ownership continues to rise, intensifying competition for limited road space and contributing to congestion, pollution, and increasing urban heat.
These challenges are not unique to Erode. Across many Tier-2 cities in Tamil Nadu, decades-old road networks are struggling to accommodate rapid motorisation, often at the expense of pedestrians, bus users, women, and other vulnerable groups. In one of India’s hottest cities, the impacts are compounded by rising temperatures and climate risks.
To better understand these gaps and identify targeted solutions, ITDP India, under the UK PACT-supported Climate-Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Mobility project, undertook a detailed assessment of Erode’s streets, bus stops, and transit accessibility. The findings reveal not only where the city is falling short, but also how it can build a more inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable mobility future.
Where are the pedestrians of Erode?
People like Rajeshwari walk in Erode to the bus stops, markets, schools, temples and other public places – either as a primary mode or as a last-mile mode of travel. However, this walk is unsafe as there’s no footpath.
At least 40 kms of the road network in Erode has a width greater than 12m RoW, making it feasible to implement adequate footpath infrastructure; however, the city has currently built only around 10.7 kms of footpaths, serving just 3 of 74 Corporation schools and 42 out of 225 bus stops.
The nature of the footpath was assessed using a framework of analysis, combining infrastructure audits, user perception surveys with 300 citizens, as well as speed surveys. The data revealed that the existing infrastructure hardly helps where needed most.
Figure 4: From top to bottom: 1. Absence of defined footpath, 2. Obstructed footpath, 3. Absence of footpath on most roads
Walking should be the easiest and most natural way to get around a city. Yet, for many people in Erode, the lack of continuous, safe, and comfortable footpaths leaves them with little choice but to walk on the carriageway, exposing people to speeding traffic, air pollution, and extreme heat.
Residents are clear about what they want: safer, cooler streets and well-connected footpaths linking homes, schools, workplaces, and bus stops. Their aspirations highlight an opportunity to reimagine Erode’s streets around people, creating a comprehensive pedestrian network that is safer, more inclusive, and climate-resilient.
Is bus transport a better option?
If walking is difficult, perhaps the bus offers relief—but ITDP India’s analysis suggests otherwise. As shared above, bus users like Muthuswamy and Selvi almost end up waiting for prolonged times in unsafe and unprotected situations.
Although the Erode bus network boasts a daily ridership of 6 lakh passengers, the city’s public transit network is currently limited to major arterial corridors totalling 55.56 km, supported by 225 bus stops, 725 TNSTC buses, and 38 private buses. But this means that there are only 25 buses per lakh population, as against the 60 prescribed by MoHUA, indicating a significant overall deficit in the bus network.
Access to public transport was assessed using an analytical framework that combined PNT, bus stop infrastructure audits, and user perception studies. How was this done?
The PNT Analysis is an overlay of the city’s transit network, its land uses and population. This revealed that the bus network is accessible within a 5-minute walking distance only for 44% of the population! However, if we consider access to Frequent Transit (FT), that is, routes that consist of buses every 5 minutes, only 14% of the population can access it within walking distance. This percentage is much less when it comes to access to buses for schools, institutional areas, or slums, at just 18.6%, 9.3% and 1.7%, respectively.
Left Figure 7: Bus transit shed (only TNSTC) and Right Figure 8: Frequent transit shed (only TNSTC)
Figure 9: From left to right: 1. Absence of safe crossing at bus stops, 2. Absence of bus shelter, 3. Inadequate seating at bus shelters
The results of the survey and audits reveal a lack of, as well as poor quality infrastructure provided at bus stops, resulting in 99% of audited bus stops falling under Level of Service (LoS) C, which is the lowest scoring category used in the study.
Therefore, bus shelter infrastructure and buses require comprehensive upgrades to improve safety, comfort, accessibility, and information. Bus users have highlighted the need for panic buttons, help lines, and CCTV in buses and bus stops; low-floor buses; better lighting and more seating; and an increase in bus frequency as top priorities.
These findings also establish the need for optimising existing routes, developing secondary and tertiary routes served by mini-buses or Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) services like autos, physical integration of bus stops with IPT stops, adding modern buses (Electric and petrol/diesel/CNG) to the fleet, and installing modern bus shelters connected to the footpath, enabling pedestrian access.
How can Erode move towards sustainable transport?
Erode’s upcoming Master Plan 2041 presents a unique opportunity to build a city that works for everyone. Safe footpaths, comfortable bus stops, reliable and affordable public transport, and essential amenities such as lighting, seating, shade, drinking water, and restrooms are not just infrastructure investments—they are the foundations of dignity, inclusion, and resilience.
Ultimately, Erode’s progress will be measured not by the roads it builds, but by how safely and comfortably its people can move. The choices made today can help create a more equitable, connected, and climate-resilient city for the future because for Rajeshwari, for Selvi waiting in the dark, for every child who nearly gets hit—there is no more time to waste.
Those who wish to read through detailed insights, kindly refer to the publication.
Written by Sanchana S, Senior Associate, Healthy Streets
Edited by Donita Jose, Deputy Manager, Communications