Speaking at the Business Today Infrastructure Summit 2026, Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder of Infravision Foundation, strongly advocated for the establishment of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) in major Indian cities. Chatterjee stressed that such an overarching body is essential to address the persistent challenges in urban public transport, despite significant infrastructure development.
The Unfulfilled Promise of UMTA
Chatterjee pointed out a critical oversight: a recommendation made two decades ago suggested that every Indian city with a population exceeding one million should have a UMTA. With 53 such cities existing today, the problem has been long recognized, yet little action has been taken.
Furthermore, the Metro Rail Policy of 2017 made central assistance for metro projects conditional on state governments operationalizing a UMTA. Despite this, new metro lines continue to emerge, while the implementation of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority often remains neglected or confined to policy documents.
Public Transport as a State Responsibility
Chatterjee firmly believes that public transport projects are inherently a state's responsibility and should not primarily rely on private capital. He argued, "Urban transport all over the world is subsidised for larger economic interests and therefore a public transport should not be purely a return on capital game. It should be done by the state." This perspective was shared during discussions surrounding the Hyderabad metro rail project, which faced challenges like lower-than-expected ridership and significant debt before its eventual transfer to the Telangana government.
While acknowledging India's successes in public-private partnerships across sectors like airports and highways, Chatterjee differentiated urban public transport due to its broader economic and social objectives.
Addressing Last-Mile Connectivity and De-congestion
Despite the implementation gaps concerning UMTA, Chatterjee noted positive momentum in other areas, particularly in tackling last-mile connectivity. Ideas such as operationalizing feeder buses or allowing metro rail corporations to manage bus services in surrounding localities are gaining traction, promising improved accessibility.
He also highlighted the potential of projects like the rapid rail connecting Delhi and Meerut. Such initiatives not only offer faster commutes into central Delhi from distant areas, even quicker than from Delhi's own outskirts, but also contribute significantly to urban de-congestion.
The Role of Public Voice
While criticizing governmental inaction on UMTA, Chatterjee also placed some onus on the public. He suggested that commuters, who directly experience the transport woes, have not collectively raised their voices sufficiently to compel governments to prioritize and implement these crucial reforms.