Institutional and Financial Strengthening of Intermediate Public Transport Services in Indian Cities

Within the urban transport framework, Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) like 3 wheelers auto rickshaws, tempos and Tata Magic caters to the daily urban trips in Indian cities. In the absence of an organized city bus service they provide an alternative mode of travel and where public transport is available, they act as a feeder to the system. However, due to the unorganized nature of this sector, it faces many challenges and is often neglected by policy and decision makers of the cities. None of the recent policy initiatives in India like National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) 2006 and National Urban Renewal Mission focuses on IPT vehicles and its improvements. The recent recommendations of the working group on urban transport, both for the 12th Five Year Plan and the National Transport Development Policy Committee stresses the need to improve the IPT services as these vehicles have a potential of providing clean mobility and low emissions solutions. This paper focuses on the important role of IPT, major challenges faced by this sector and suggest solutions to organize and regularize the system in Indian cities.