On the move? Exploring constraints to accessing urban mobility infrastructures

Abstract

Urban mobility infrastructures are crucial in connecting people to a city and the prospects it provides. Through a critical review of literature on growth of cities in South Asia, transport initiatives and policies, and the existing transport situation, this paper highlights barriers which impact accessibility to transport and thus, ridership. As Delhi gears up to become the world's most populated city, how does its transport infrastructure fare in enabling users' ease of movement and providing opportunities to access work, education, healthcare, and social life? The paper explores how challenges to access transport are a result of interactions between several inter-sectional factors. These include an individual's social and spatial position in the city, role of transport policies in shaping road-based transport, and Delhi's growth in the form of urban sprawls which has resulted in uneven distribution of and access to services. At the core of these inter-linked factors lie the users through whom the challenges or opportunities to access transport become operationalised. By highlighting transport-related constraints, including who is considered a user and who is not, this paper pushes for more inclusive discussions on the future of transport planning, and interventions for improving accessibility. Identifying opportunities for actions and addressing gaps is imperative as Delhi witness's continuous growth and migration. This review of existing transport literature is beneficial for policy recommendations and strategies for meaningful change.