FORMULATION OF A FRAMEWORK FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT GOVERNANCE IN INDIAN CITIES

Abstract

It is essential to understand that a transport system is a combination of different stakeholders. It consists of formal and informal institutions, road network, transport modes (public, para-transit, private and non-motorized), public and private transport operators, and the users. The formal institutions, like the government, the public transport operators, aim to enrich social equity by connecting the city regions and extending the public transport system to every section of the society. Informal institutions consist of private or external operators that provide public transport services, paratransit services, and non-motorized services. These informal institutions are regulated by the formal institutions that facilitate the informal institutions to provide a transport service and to curb the chances of creating a monopoly in the market by these institutions. According to Munby, the most important factor in transport is that it has a more dominant social angle than profit-making, as it is for masses with a diverse economic background. Therefore, it is said that almost every decision related to transport is a public issue. Every transport decision affects the large mass of the public, whether to promote public transport or discourage the use of private vehicles. Thus, the collaboration between formal and informal institutions becomes important to achieve a sustainable transport system. A transport system consists of different transport modes (which are governed by various institutions). Still, alone a single mode can not provide mobility solutions for all. It is challenging to cover the whole city with mass transit mode and to provide door to door connectivity. There is a need for integrating all available transport modes for transferring passengers from higher capacity mode to lower capacity mode and vice versa. This integration can be done at three levels. These are: i. Institutional level integration ii. Physical integration iii. Fare integration