Mobility and transport infrastructure in Mumbai Metropolitan Region: growth, exclusion and modal choices

Abstract

Social and physical infrastructure development needs to catch up to population growth in cities of the Global South. The infrastructures are emerging in piecemeal ways following demand, be it housing, water supply, electricity, financial, educational, health or transport services. Indian cities are typical examples of this and can be called archetypes of the problem. This paper finds that transport infrastructure development in Mumbai Metropolitan Region has not kept pace with the demand. Notwithstanding recent developments, urban mobility in the region is characterised by traffic jams, delays and a lack of integrated and inclusionary transport systems, adversely affecting the economic efficiency of the region through loss of labour time, delays in deliveries of goods and services, environmental pollution and health costs.