NEW DELHI: The national capital has witnessed a significant decline in the number of vehicles per 1,000 people over the past eight years, along with a reduction in road accidents, even as ridership trends on buses and metro services showed contrasting patterns, according to the Delhi State Framework Indicator Report on Sustainable Development Goals released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics.
The report reveals that vehicle density per 1,000 population dropped sharply from 530 in 2015–16 to 370 in 2022–23, before marginally rising to 373 in 2023–24. This decline coincided with a fall in the number of road accidents, which decreased from 8,085 in 2015 to 4,720 in 2021.
However, accident figures climbed again to 5,560 in 2022.
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau, cited in the report, showed that 9,880 people were killed or injured in road accidents in 2015. This number reduced to 5,228 in 2021 but increased to 6,174 in 2022, indicating a reversal of the declining trend.
Public transport usage presented a mixed picture. The fleet of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses grew from 5,842 in 2015–16 to 7,485 in 2023–24. Yet, their average daily ridership fell from 4.59 million passengers to 4.24 million during the same period. In contrast, the Delhi Metro recorded a dramatic rise in ridership, surging from 2.62 million in 2015–16 to 5.78 million in 2023–24.
Access to public transport also fluctuated. In 2015–16, 42.95 per cent of Delhi’s population had access to such facilities. This dropped to 40.80 per cent in 2022–23 before improving to 45.83 per cent in 2023–24.
The report underlines that by 2030, the government aims to ensure safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport for all. The focus is on improving road safety, expanding public transport, and paying special attention to vulnerable groups including women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The findings reflect both progress and persistent challenges as the national capital works toward meeting its sustainable development goals in the transport sector.