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Introduction

Urban transport in India is often termed an “institutional and constitutional orphan” due to the lack of a dedicated authority or constitutional clarity over its jurisdiction. Fragmented responsibilities, lack of coordination among stakeholders, and insufficient long-term planning have resulted in significant governance gaps, impeding effective transport infrastructure and service delivery.

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Key Challenges in Urban Transport Governance in India

• Ambiguous Constitutional Status: Urban transport doesn’t find explicit mention in any of the three constitutional lists, creating uncertainty in jurisdiction and governance.
  Eg: Urban planning is a state subject, while highways and railways fall under the Union; urban transport intersects both, leading to overlapping responsibilities.
• Institutional Fragmentation: Multiple agencies operate without coordination, often working in silos with conflicting priorities and no unified command structure.
  Eg: Municipal corporations, metro rail corporations, STUs, RTOs, manage urban transport independently.
• Lack of Professional Cadre in Urban Transport: There is no permanent administrative framework with specialised knowledge in urban transport to ensure continuity and expertise.
• Limited Tenure and Generalist Bureaucracy: Municipal commissioners with short tenures and generalist backgrounds often lack the capacity or continuity to manage urban transport reform.
  Eg: Unlike services like IAS or IFS, there is no cadre dedicated to urban transport policy, finance, or planning.
• Failure of Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTAs): Although several states have passed UMTA legislation, their implementation is weak due to legal ambiguities and poor inter-agency coordination.
• Lack of Data-Driven and Evidence-Based Planning: Different transport agencies use disconnected datasets and methods, leading to policy misalignment and inefficiencies.
• Limited Training and Capacity Building: Current training efforts are inadequate to produce urban transport professionals with technical, financial, and managerial skills.

How an All India Urban Transport Service Could Address These Challenges

• Creation of a Professional Cadre with Domain Expertise: Like the Indian Forest Service or Indian Statistical Service, a dedicated cadre would bring technical and managerial expertise to the urban transport sector.
  Eg: Officers trained in transport policy, finance, planning, and infrastructure could anchor city-level strategy and implementation.
• Improved Coordination and Continuity: A permanent cadre could overcome coordination failures by linking various transport agencies under a common administrative umbrella.
  Eg: Officers can assist in operationalising UMTAs and aligning the work of DTC, DMRC, STUs, and municipal bodies.
• Institutionalise Long-Term Planning and Strategy: Dedicated officers can ensure consistency in policy, monitor long-term goals, and adapt to changing urban dynamics.
  Eg: National Urban Transport Policy (2006) and Metro Policy (2017) could be better executed with a trained, consistent leadership at the helm.
• Facilitate State Capacity and Policy Implementation: By providing cities with expert officers, the service can bolster state and city governments’ capacity to implement complex transport projects.
• Global Learning and Local Adaptation: Professionally trained officers could learn from global best practices and apply them with sensitivity to Indian urban contexts.
  Eg: Transport for London (TfL) is a successful unified agency; India’s proposed cadre can adapt similar models to its cities.
• Administrative Reforms and Regulatory Navigation: Officers can help navigate bureaucratic hurdles, streamline approvals, and support municipal reforms.
  Eg: They can ensure effective implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment by empowering ULBs in transport matters.

Conclusion

Urban transport governance in India suffers from institutional fragmentation, lack of constitutional clarity, and insufficient professional expertise. A dedicated All India Urban Transport Service, as recommended by the High-Level Committee on Urban Planning (2023), could provide the structural reform needed to overcome these challenges. While not a silver bullet, it can serve as a foundational step towards more coordinated, responsive, and efficient urban mobility systems.

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