Access and Mobility for the Urban Poor in India: Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Needs

Indian cities are characterised by rapid growth in human as well as motor vehicle populations. Although the poor benefit the least from motor vehicle activity, they bear the brunt of its impacts. The policy challenge is, how to fulfill mass mobility needs, while minimizing these adverse impacts. But while the need to meet this and other urban challenges grows ever more urgent, Indian cities face severe resource constraints. The paper addresses the question of how to meet this policy challenge, given the realities of the Indian context. [Paper at the Forum on Urban Infrastructure and Public Service Delivery for the Urban PoorOrganized by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and National Institute of Urban Affairs June 24-25, 2004.]