Delhi’s annual descent into hazardous air has once again turned attention to construction dust, crop burning and industrial emissions. These sources matter, but they do not explain the whole picture. Every day, millions of people move across Indian cities to reach work, school, markets and hospitals.
The vehicles they use—and the transport system available to them— shape both the air they breathe and the congestion they endure. Air pollution remains one of the world’s most serious public-health challenges. The World Health Organization estimates that ambient air pollution contributes to around 4.2 million premature deaths annually, with much of the exposure occurring in urban areas.
In India, the problem is particularly acute in cities where traffic, construction, industry and seasonal factors overlap. In Delhi and the National Capital Region, a source-apportionment study by The Energy and Resources Institute and the Automotive Research Association of India estimated that transport accounted for about 39% of PM2.5 emissions and 81% of nitrogen oxide emissions among sources within Delhi. The challenge will grow as cities expand.
The United Nations projects that India’s urban population will reach nearly 675 million by 2035, increasing demand for housing, jobs and daily mobility. More trips will be made, and unless the way people travel changes, more vehicles will compete for limited road space. The result will be longer commutes, higher emissions and greater exposure to pollution.
Public transport is the starting point
Transport accounts for nearly a quarter of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, making it a central sector in any credible climate strategy. In India, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways estimates that road transport contributes close to 12% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. These figures underline a simple point: cleaner mobility is not only an environmental goal but also a transport-planning necessity. Public transport offers the most direct way to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. A bus, metro coach or suburban train can carry many more people than a fleet of private cars using the same road space. When public transport is frequent, affordable and well connected, it reduces congestion, lowers emissions and expands access to jobs and services. The challenge in many Indian cities is that public transport is often treated as an alternative to private vehicles rather than as the backbone of urban mobility. Where bus services are irregular, metro stations are far from homes or workplaces, and last-mile connections are weak, households turn to two-wheelers and cars. The result is a cycle in which more private vehicles create congestion, congestion reduces the reliability of public transport, and poor reliability pushes more people towards private vehicles.
Electric mobility is Necessary, Not sufficient
India’s electric-vehicle transition has gained momentum. Under PM E-DRIVE, 26.59 lakh electric vehicles had been sold by January 2026, while electric two wheeler sales reached 11.49 lakh units in 2025-26, a 21% increase over the previous year. Electric two- and three wheelers are particularly significant for urban India, where they can serve short trips, deliveries and shared mobility.
Electric vehicles reduce tailpipe emissions and can improve air quality, especially in dense traffic corridors. But they do not, by themselves, solve congestion. An electric car still requires road space and parking. If the number of vehicles continues to rise, cities may end up with cleaner exhaust but the same traffic, the same pressure on public space and the same long commutes. Electrification therefore needs to be part of a wider mobility strategy.
It must be linked to reliable public transport, charging infrastructure, efficient operations and changes in how people travel. The objective is not simply to replace petrol and diesel vehicles with electric ones, but to create transport networks that are accessible, affordable and environmentally responsible.
Electric buses are the immediate opportunity
Electric buses offer one of the clearest opportunities to reduce both emissions and congestion. India’s PM E-DRIVE programme has allocated ₹4,391 crore for 14,028 electric buses, with 13,800 buses allocated to seven major cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Surat.
These are among the country’s largest urban transport markets, where a shift from private vehicles to buses could have a measurable impact on air quality. But the value of an electric bus depends on whether it is used. A bus that runs on a high-demand route, arrives frequently and connects to metro and railway stations can replace many private trips. A bus that runs empty, or is caught in the same traffic as private vehicles, delivers limited benefit.
The measure of success is not the number of electric buses sanctioned; it is the number of people who shift from private vehicles to shared transport. This requires attention to service design. Dedicated bus lanes, signal priority, reliable scheduling and integrated ticketing can make bus travel faster and more predictable. Charging infrastructure, depot space and maintenance capacity are equally important. Without these, electric buses may remain confined to pilot projects rather than becoming part of everyday urban transport.
A broader mobility ecosystem
Clean mobility cannot rest on vehicles alone. It requires a system in which walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility work together. Footpaths, safe crossings and cycle lanes make it easier for people to reach bus stops and metro stations. Shared autos and e-rickshaws can provide last-mile connectivity where formal transport does not reach. Land-use planning also matters.
When housing, workplaces, schools and services are located far from transit corridors, trip lengths increase and households become more dependent on motorised transport. Compact, mixed-use development around public transport can reduce travel distances and make cleaner modes more practical.
India’s net-zero target for 2070 gives the country a long-term direction, but the decisions that matter most will be taken in cities over the next few years. Every investment in buses, charging infrastructure, footpaths and integrated transport networks shapes how people will travel for decades.
Clean air does not begin with air purifiers or seasonal restrictions. It begins with the daily journey: the bus that arrives on time, the metro station that is reachable on foot, the electric bus that replaces a diesel route, and the city that makes it possible to travel without adding to its pollution. If India can make cleaner mobility the easier choice, cleaner air will follow.
*Amrendra Pratap Singh is a Public Policy Scholar pursuing an M.A. in Public Policy and Governance at Ambedkar University