Nearly one-third of Mumbai lives with poor access to public transport: IIT-B study

The analysis shows that while 31.4% of the non-slum population enjoys excellent transport access, only 17.3% of slum residents have the same privilege

Mumbai: Mumbai: Nearly one in three Mumbaiites—about 3.95 million people, or 31.8% of the city’s population—live in areas with poor access to public transport, according to a recent study by the civil engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

Thane, India - June, 09, 2022:  Since the local train coming from kalyan side, Commuters from kalwa cannot travel in the oncoming train because commuters cants get on the train on kalwa railway station , in Thane ,Mumbai, India, on, Thursday, June, 09, 2022. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

The study, conducted by Gopal R Patil, professor at IIT-B; Dr Rakhi Manohar Mepprambath, senior scientist at A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore; and IIT-B research scholar Manish Yadav mapped how well residents can reach buses, metro stations and suburban trains across the city.

It found that 6.5 million people (52.2%) live in high transit-gap zones, where the demand for public transport far exceeds the services available. Another 1.7 million (13.6%) live in “transit deserts,” where demand is high but actual access to public transport is extremely limited.

Slum residents worst hit

The analysis shows that while 31.4% of the non-slum population enjoys excellent transport access, only 17.3% of slum residents have the same privilege. Overall, 31.8% of the city’s population falls below what the researchers classify as a “good” level of transit accessibility.

The team assessed Public Transport Accessibility Levels (PTAL), transit gaps, and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to understand how easily people can reach the transit network. PTAL measures how well areas are connected to public transport based on factors such as proximity to stops, service frequency, and reliability; the transit gap reflects the mismatch between supply and demand; and the SVI captures the socio-economic challenges faced by different population groups.

One of the most striking findings is the overlap between poor transport access and social vulnerability. According to the study, 32.5% of highly vulnerable residents live in areas that have both low PTAL and high transit gaps, meaning the people who depend most on public transport often have the least access to it.

Southern and western Mumbai, home to more affluent neighbourhoods, benefit from dense rail, bus and metro networks. In contrast, northern and eastern areas, which house a significant portion of the city’s slum population and industrial workers, face lower accessibility and higher transit gaps. Wards such as M East (Govandi), P North (Malad), S (Bhandup) and T (Mulund) consistently record poor PTAL scores. These areas also contain some of the city’s highest concentrations of low-income households, exacerbating the gap even further.

“By comparing the availability of transit services with the number of people likely to depend on them, the study identifies zones where public transport supply is either far below or far above what is needed,” said Patil. “High transit-gap areas, where demand is not met by existing services, account for more than half of Mumbai’s population. In these zones, residents often face long walks to bus stops, unreliable frequencies, or overcrowded trains.”

The recommendations

The researchers argued that improving public transport access cannot be limited to adding more routes or stations. They recommended targeted interventions for neighbourhoods that rank lowest in both PTAL and SVI. These include improving last-mile connectivity, increasing frequency in underserved areas, and prioritising transport planning for wards with high concentrations of vulnerable populations.

The study also calls for better coordination among agencies like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to ensure equitable investment in transit infrastructure. While recent metro projects show promise, the researchers emphasised the need for integration with local bus systems to improve first- and last-mile connectivity.

Describing the study as “fantastic”, Vivek Pai, a transport expert, said, “It elaborates on the social inequality that exists in terms of public transit accessibility. This inequality disproportionately affects the vulnerable populations, especially the ones residing in slums. I’m sure that the [municipal] corporation would benefit from the study and could allocate more resources in areas which are socially vulnerable. In a time where dynamic and real-time data is available for urban and transportation planning, it is important that there is an equitable allocation of resources.”