What exactly is Fare Free Public Transport, and can it really solve India’s urban mobility challenges? While some have embraced free rides, especially to ease travel for women, the pandemic’s impact on transit finances raises tough questions. Can such policies thrive amid budget crises and changing travel habits? This complex idea holds promise but also presents surprising trade-offs ahead.

What if our cities never had motorised vehicles? Imagine Hyderabad’s vibrant nightlife, famous landmarks, and everyday hustle locked in stillness. This thought-provoking journey explores a world without cars and buses, unravelling how travel shapes our lives, food culture, history, and even nature. Could we survive the absence, or would innovation inevitably drive us toward a new era of mobility? What then keeps a city truly moving?

Public transport in smaller Indian cities was already struggling before COVID-19. But what did the pandemic do to these travel patterns? It sparked shifts in how people move, revealing new trends in private vehicle use and non-motorised transport. These changes carry both opportunities and challenges, especially outside major metros.

A closer look at over 50 studies reveals what’s missing in India’s mobility conversations: small cities. From outdated data to metro-centric research, the gaps are clear. But within these blind spots lie crucial opportunities. Could rethinking where knowledge comes from reshape how we plan transport in urban India?

Urban transport in India often focuses on metros, sidelining the unique realities of smaller cities. With limited data, varying insights, and one-size-fits-all solutions, real needs go unheard. When policies don’t fit the context, problems multiply. The story of India’s small cities is incomplete, and it’s starting to show.