India’s traffic rankings have become a recurring headline and an easy target for ridicule. But congestion is not merely a story of too many vehicles or unruly roads. It is a story of access. Of how close public transport comes to people’s homes, workplaces, and daily lives, and how often it stops just short.

If public transport is the backbone of a city, last-mile connectivity is its pulse. Without it, even the most expensive metro line or the largest bus fleet struggles to deliver real relief.

What the congestion rankings are really telling us

Recent global congestion rankings have once again put Indian cities under an uncomfortable spotlight. Bengaluru was ranked the second most congested city in the world, with average peak-hour speeds dropping to around 14 kmph and commuters losing over 160 hours a year stuck in traffic. Pune featured among the top five globally, while Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad repeatedly appear in Asia’s most congested city lists.

These rankings are often read as a failure of traffic management. But they are better understood as a signal that private vehicles remain the default choice for millions, even in cities that have invested heavily in metros, buses, and suburban rail.

The obvious question then follows. If public transport exists, why is it not absorbing this demand?

Cost is not the problem people think it is

On paper, public transport already wins the affordability argument. Multiple transport cost analyses show that public transport costs roughly half per kilometre compared to private vehicles. A regular commuter travelling about 20 km a day can save ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 a year by choosing buses or metro over a two-wheeler or car, even before accounting for parking, maintenance, or insurance.

Yet millions still choose private vehicles.

This tells us something crucial. People are not rejecting public transport because it is expensive. They are rejecting it because it is often hard to reach, unreliable to transfer to, or unpredictable in time. In urban mobility, time certainty frequently outweighs monetary savings.

The real barrier: the last mile

For a large share of urban commuters, the journey to a metro station or bus stop is where the system breaks down. Long walks on unsafe roads, infrequent feeder buses, unregulated autos, or costly last-mile options turn a theoretically cheaper journey into a practically exhausting one.

Studies and city-level pilots consistently show that when last-mile gaps are addressed, ridership responds quickly. Organised feeder services, timed connections, and safer walking access have led to measurable increases in public transport use. Where they are absent, private vehicles step in, not out of preference, but compulsion.

This is why congestion persists even as cities expand public transport networks. Infrastructure has grown faster than accessibility.

What India has done right and where it still falls short

To be fair, Indian cities have not ignored public transport. Metro rail networks have expanded rapidly. Digital ticketing, real-time tracking, and integrated mobility apps have improved the commuter experience. In several cities, these investments have prevented congestion from becoming even worse.

But success has been uneven because systems have not grown together. High-capacity corridors exist, but feeder networks remain thin. Stations are built, but footpaths vanish. Trains arrive, but the last kilometre is left to chance.

Public transport succeeds not when it is impressive, but when it is easy.

Shifting people from vehicles to transit: is it feasible?

The idea of moving people away from private vehicles often sounds idealistic. In reality, it is entirely feasible if cities focus on the right levers.

Short term: Improve bus frequency, prioritise buses at signals, deploy reliable feeder services on high-demand routes, and ensure safe walking access to stations. These are low-cost, high-impact interventions.

Medium term: Integrate fares across buses, metros, and feeders; strengthen last-mile options like e-rickshaws and shared shuttles; and align office timings to flatten peak-hour demand.

Long term: Design cities around transit rather than cars through transit-oriented development, mixed-use neighbourhoods, and policies that discourage excessive private vehicle use in dense cores.

International experience shows that when public transport becomes predictably accessible, behaviour changes organically. People do not need persuasion campaigns. They respond to convenience.

The logical conclusion

India’s congestion rankings are not a verdict on its cities. They are a diagnostic. They tell us that public transport has reached scale, but not yet reach.

A metro line is successful only when people can get to it without stress. A bus system works only when it fits into daily life without negotiation. Public transport wins not when it is cheaper or greener, but when it is easier.

Until last-mile connectivity is treated as a first-order priority rather than an afterthought, Indian cities will continue to build impressive systems that commuters admire and then drive past.

The next phase of urban progress will not be measured by kilometres of rail laid or buses procured, but by something simpler and more human. How effortlessly people can leave their vehicles behind.

Editor’s Note: This article is part of The Logical Take, a commentary section of The Logical Indian. The views expressed are based on research, constitutional values, and the author’s analysis of publicly reported events. They are intended to encourage informed public discourse and do not seek to target or malign any community, institution, or individual.

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