India’s Urban Centres are increasingly moving towards active and shared mobility: OMI Foundation’s Ease of Moving Index (EoMI) India Report 2022

Hyderabad, April 25, 2023: OMI Foundation’s Ease of Moving Index - India Report 2022 was Jointly launched by Kunal Kumar, IAS, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission and Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, they commended the team at OMI Foundation for developing a comprehensive mobility index that captures commuter perception and highlights active and shared mobility choices. 

The Ease of Moving Index (EoMI) - India Report 2022, is based on India’s largest survey incorporating responses from 50,488 survey respondents, 220 FGD focus group discussion participants and data from government and other sources The exhaustive survey, which has been administered on-ground at multiple locations in these cities, informs over 100 sub-indicators which have subsequently been compiled into 41 indicators across 9 parameters. EoMI also pays particular attention to aspects of accessibility and inclusivity, recognizing the need that “Mobility for All” has to be the cornerstone of a thriving and vibrant active and shared mobility ecosystem.

The EoMI 2022 report reveals that Kochi holds the greatest promise for the adoption of active and shared mobility, while Bhubaneswar shines in terms of providing a seamless mobility experience. Aizawl emerged as a top performer in clean mobility, while Jabalpur has the lowest mobility expenditure. Kolkata leads the way in shared mobility adoption, and Pune boasts of the most inclusive mobility ecosystem. 

“Urban centres are the economic growth drivers in the country, and mobility plays a crucial role in empowering citizens to realize their true potential. India’s journey towards becoming a $10 trillion economy and beyond has to be fuelled by a sustainable, inclusive and efficient mobility system,” said OMI Foundation’s Managing Trustee and Former Indian Ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale.   

“Active and shared mobility choices have emerged as one of the key enablers of sustainable mobility, which when paired with technological innovation holds the promise of revolutionizing how Indian cities move,” added OMI Foundation Trustee Harish Abichandani.

“Ease of Moving Index - India Report, 2022 is OMI Foundation’s unique attempt to assist policymakers, as they adopt a data-driven approach to decision-making as India moves towards a sustainable and inclusive mobility system”, said OMI Foundation’s Executive Director Aishwarya Raman.

The EoMI also shares a comparison of key insights from citizens’ reported mobility patterns and perceptions between 2018 and 2022. Out of the 18 cities covered in both editions, 9 have witnessed a rise in public transport usage. Moreover, the comfort level perception has improved in 15 cities since 2018. It was also observed that 12 cities have received higher cleanliness ratings this year, indicating an improvement in the perception of public transport users towards its cleanliness. Walking and cycling are considered the optimal modes of transportation, particularly for first- and last-mile connectivity, and are often contingent on the availability of safe infrastructure, which has also improved since 2018 in the eyes of the respondents.

Key findings for Hyderabad from the Ease of Moving Index 
Hyderabad stands out among Indian cities for its impressive adoption of cashless mobility services, surpassing most counterparts. Furthermore, Hyderabad has earned the distinction of having the highest number of respondents satisfied with the parking facilities for bicycles and motor vehicles at all major transit hubs. While personal vehicle ownership has increased steadily across the country, personal vehicle usage - referred to as personal mobility in EoMI - has declined in Hyderabad from 35% in 2018 to 29% in 2022.

SOME OTHER KEY FINDINGS FROM THE “EASE OF MOVING INDEX, 2022”
•    Twin cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad score the highest on Ease of Moving in 2022; closely followed by Mumbai and Coimbatore
•    Mumbaikars spend among the lowest on transport per month
•    Kolkata has the highest adoption of shared mobility  
•    Ahmedabad has the highest willingness to adopt electric vehicles 
•    Public transport usage among women and the trans/ non-binary is the highest in Ludhiana
•    Chennai has among the best cycling infrastructures in India