Household Consumption Expenditure on Conveyance
The latest data from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey highlights that conveyance expenses are the largest share of average monthly expenditures among non-food items.
Statistics on Expenditure
- In rural areas, the share is 7.6%, while in urban areas, it is 8.5%.
Factors Influencing Expenditure
- Increasing mobility and urban sprawl.
- Rising fuel costs.
- Inadequate public transport infrastructure.
Impact on Commuters
- Reliance on expensive private solutions.
- In cities like NCR and Bengaluru, increased traffic and pollution.
- In rural areas, lack of public transport leads to heavy reliance on personal vehicles like tractors.
Need for Investment in Public Transport
Investing in efficient public transport is crucial for attracting workers and encouraging female workforce participation.
Examples of Effective Public Transport
- Mumbai and Kolkata: Extensive local train networks.
- Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Demonstrates benefits of inter-city connectivity.
Challenges in Current Urban Transport Planning
- Limited number of RRTS corridors.
- Insufficient bus services with only 2.1 million buses for over 140 million commuters.
- Failures in implementing BRT systems effectively.
Preference for Metro Projects
- 17 cities with operational metro systems.
- Limitations in coverage and high fare costs.
To reduce travel expenses, urban-transport planning needs to focus on cost-effective solutions.
