NEW DELHI: About one-third of Delhi's neighbourhoods lack convenient access to public bus stops within a 500-meter radius, which is considered the standard for walkable access under India's Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy.
Furthermore, Delhi's major roads are primarily served by long-haul buses, even though most commuters travel less than 4 kilometres for their daily trips.
These long-haul buses are often impractical for use in densely populated areas, rendering them ineffective for many residents.
These issues were highlighted in a recent study conducted by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), an independent environmental research organisation.
The ICCT also noted Delhi's significant progress in expanding its metro network and introducing new buses through various government initiatives. However, access to affordable and reliable local transportation continues to be limited for many residents.
It found that nearly one-third of Delhi’s urban area lacks convenient access to formal bus services. For thousands of residents, daily mobility often involves long walks or costly last-mile connections, conditions that discourage public transport use and contribute to congestion and pollution.
In its spatial granular analysis of bus-based public transport availability across the National Capital Territory, it underlines some densely populated areas or wards are deprived of transport connectivity.
It points out some wards like Deoli, Jaitpur, Sangam Vihar, Mustafabad, Ghonda, Sainik Enclave, Hari Nagar Extension, Prem Nagar have zero buildings within 500 meters of a bus stop.
Further, in Metro-connected areas, the absence of robust local connectivity forces commuters to depend on informal or motorised modes. The current standard-sized buses is primarily suited for main routes and are inoperable within the dense, narrow inner streets of many Delhi neighbourhoods.
The study notes that while the national capital has extensive and vast public transport connectivity, it lacks accessibility in dense urban settlements where a traditional 12m city bus cannot operate with ease.
The report recommends deploying smaller 9-meter neighborhood buses on roads 7 meters or wider, a move recently initiated under the Delhi Government’s new Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) buses.
Other developed countries have already adopted the concept of neighbourhood buses, such as Community Buses in Japan, Neighbourhood Circulators in the United States, and Quadriersbusse in Germany.
“First- and last-mile connectivity and the need to serve low-density or hard-to-reach areas are critical challenges that hinder the scaling up of bus services in cities,” said Amit Bhatt, India Managing Director, ICCT.
The study also recommends the deployment of smaller electric neighbourhood buses to minimise the dead kilometres.