The first National Household Travel Survey shows that India's urban commute depends on private two-wheelers. Discuss the implications for sustainable urban mobility and suggest measures to increase the share of public mass transit.

India's first National Household Travel Survey (NHTS, 2025–26) was run by NSO under MoSPI. It found that 52.3% of urban workers who commute use a two-wheeler as their main mode. Metro, suburban rail and tram carry only 5.0% of urban worker commutes [1]. This heavy reliance on private vehicles works against sustainable urban mobility.

Implications for sustainable urban mobility

• Congestion and lost time: urban workers spend ₹1,044 a month on commuting, against ₹612 in rural areas. Yet fewer of them reach work within 30 minutes (79.3% vs 86.1%) [1]. Paying more does not get them there faster.
• Peak-hour pressure: 94.9% of workers leave before 10 AM [1]. Private vehicles crowd onto the same roads at the same time, which adds to emissions and fuel use.
• Uneven transit coverage: mass transit's share is 20.7% in Maharashtra, 16.5% in West Bengal and 14.4% in Delhi, against a 5.0% national average [1]. Metro and suburban rail have barely reached most cities.
• Gender and equity: only 41.9% of female workers make work trips longer than 1 km, against 61.9% of male workers [1]. Weak public transport may limit the jobs women can take up.

Measures to increase the share of mass transit

• Transit-Oriented Development: put the National TOD Policy into practice. It calls for dense, mixed-use development within 500–800 m of stations to move people away from private vehicles [3].
• Buses first: buses already carry 29.5% of students [1]. Larger city bus fleets and dedicated bus lanes can reach more people sooner than new metro lines.
• Last-mile links: build safe footpaths and cycle tracks (students already cycle on 15.8% of trips [1]). Connect feeder buses and autos to metro stations.
• Data-led route planning: use the NHTS spatial demand matrix [2] in MoHUA-supported Comprehensive Mobility Plans [4] to match routes and service frequency to real peak demand.
• Better statistics: release unit-level data, count trips under 1 km, and repeat the survey regularly to track the shift away from private vehicles.

The NHTS gives India its first national baseline of how people commute. Combining TOD, a bus-led expansion and last-mile links can shift commuters from two-wheelers to shared transport. This would advance SDG 11.2 (safe, affordable, sustainable transport for all) and make cities more inclusive and liveable.