India Sustainable Mobility Initiative

To provide efficient mobility for the 200 million new urban dwellers expected by 2030 and mitigate the use of private vehicles and GHG emissions, India must achieve a dramatic increase in high quality rapid transit and improvements in walking and cycling infrastructure and urban development patterns. Working with national, state, and city level government stakeholders, the Initiative will achieve a shift to low carbon transport modes. The project will help to develop urban transport policies and investments that prioritize low carbon mobility. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has developed a catalog of, which includes advice and capacity development for investments in pedestrian and bicycle paths and the expansion of vehicle fleets in public transport. The project will work at the national level to produce guidance that accelerates subnational projects and policies, and with the states to institutionalize methodologies for transport planning.

Project data

Countries: India
IKI funding: 4,847,096.96 €
Duration: 09/2015 till 09/2028
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP)
Political Partner: Diverse climate change relevant institutions in the respective partner countries/Diverse klimarelevante Institutionen in den entsprechenden Partnerländern

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) - India
Online: https://www.itdp.org/where-we-work/india/

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State of implementation/results

Maharashtra advances clean air measures in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR): Maharashtra has formed a committee to phase out polluting vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. As a committee member, ITDP India recommended introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZs) to discourage high-polluting vehicles, and the committee included this recommendation as a key measure in its report to the High Court. ITDP also contributed by helping compile the case study and identifying a potential area for implementing an LEZ in the region. This marks an important step toward improving air quality and promoting cleaner transport solutions.
Advancing Gender Inclusivity in Public Transport: On International Women’s Day, ITDP supported ASRTU to capture the experiences of female staff to develop outreach content, contributing to policy recommendations on workplace infrastructure, job security, and commuter safety.
Engaging Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) Officers in Parking Management: ITDP trained officers, the administrative backbone of India’s Union Territories, using a hands-on parking game to explore pricing, financial models, technology, private sector participation, and best practices using Chennai’s reforms as a case study.
Chennai Parking Policy & Pedestrian Infrastructure: ITDP supported the Anna Nagar Area-Level Parking Plan, including area-based management, demand-based pricing, and smart enforcement, with inputs from residents, businesses, and vendors. A ₹200 crore budget (USD $24 million) was allocated for 170 km of footpaths. Concurrently, workshops with engineers and consultants focused on safe, accessible streets, improving design, enforcement, and citywide implementation.
Municipal Transport Chennai e-bus launch: Chennai introduced 120 non-air conditioned and 55 air-conditioned e-buses, part of a phased rollout targeting 1,225 buses. ITDP provided technical assistance for procurement, training, and rollout strategies, aligning the fleet with Tamil Nadu’s EV Policy for decarbonisation and efficient public transport.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) in Chennai & Coimbatore: ITDP’s SRTS initiatives engaged 176 students in Chennai to guide 19.4 km of street transformations, with workshops and a design consultant. Child Friendly Street Design Guidelines are under review by CUMTA. In Coimbatore, 280 students and 65 teachers shaped SRTS plans, with a design checklist finalised and survey data being analysed for integration.
Strengthening City Capacity for Safer Streets in Tamil Nadu: ITDP trained engineers from five cities on Healthy Streets and Parking Management at TNUIS, Coimbatore, highlighting leadership, coordination, early street design integration, and monitoring. In Coimbatore, over 20 major junctions are being redesigned with ITDP’s guidance, combining compact designs, tactical trials, and a practical Junction Design Checklist.
Advancing Low Emission Zones and Vehicle-Free Streets in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad: In Pune, ITDP facilitated an Low Emission Zones roundtable with civil society, identifying Shivajinagar and Old City as pilot zones, recommending phased, priced implementation with complementary measures. In Pimpri Chinchwad, ITDP supported the city’s first Vehicle-Free Day, transforming 825 m of Pimpri Market, reducing pollution, increasing footfall. ITDP India also supported in conducting citizen engagement exercises that showed strong support for banning polluting vehicles.
Nagpur Advances Safe Streets & School Zones: ITDP presented the Nagpur Urban Streets Analysis, prepared school zone designs, and launched the Urban Streets Assessment Report, identifying missing footpaths, unsafe crossings, and over-speeding. A capacity-building workshop brought city officials together, enabling adoption of a network-level Healthy Streets approach, innovative construction techniques, and dedicated budgets to sustain improvements.
In October 2024, ITDP India launched the publication Promoting Behaviour Change Towards Walking and Cycling, highlighting the need for infrastructure and behaviour change to go hand in hand. The report advocates for achievable walking and cycling habits alongside better footpaths, cycle lanes, and traffic calming measures. The publication also showcases the success of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA’s) 2021 Freedom2WalkCycleRun campaign, which engaged citizens and officials across 30 cities, covering 30,000 km on foot, 80,000 km by cycle, and 17,000 km running in just two quarters.-- India’s public bus sector is rapidly transitioning to electrification, with 9,500 e-buses operational and 12,000+ under procurement. Recognising the opportunity for State Transport Undertakings (STUs), Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to convert their emissions into revenue through carbon credits, ITDP developed India’s first Carbon Credits Guidebook to help public bus operators understand carbon financing. Launched by the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU) in Dehradun, in September 2024, the guidebook has become a key resource for transport officials nationwide, supporting the long-term sustainability of e-bus fleets.-- ITDP India, in partnership with ASRTU and Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), conducted a training workshop for STU officials, contributing to the training of 250+ officials across various states over the past year. The sessions focused on Electric Bus Service Planning and Branding, Marketing, and Communications to enhance the bus rider experience.
In August 2024, ITDP collaborated with Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to host a Parking Management Round Table Conference to enhance the city's parking system. The conference shared valuable strategies from cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Srinagar, and international examples, which will aid PCMC in formulating a comprehensive parking strategy and beginning implementation in key areas. Moreover, ITDP India, in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), conducted a training session for Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) probationers, shaping the perspectives of India’s future bureaucrats on urban sustainable mobility. The session covered key aspects of Healthy Streets, with a deep dive into parking management, encouraging participants to think differently about urban mobility solutions. The session explored economics of parking, enforcement manpower, and alternative parking options; reinforcing the need for innovative approaches to sustainable urban transport.

Latest Update:
12/2025