Between 2005 and 2012, India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) has invested US$20billion in urban infrastructure (including transport) and basic services to the urban poor. JnNURM is a very important advance, as it helps the cities with policies and funding for moving people, not vehicles.

This paper examines the role the auto-rickshaw sector can play in promoting sustainable urban transport in India. It develops a policy vision for this sector and presents recommendations on reforms to address sustainability challenges.

This study compares basic transport and air quality indicators for 12 Indian cities. It observes that the exploding cities. Observes that at current median household levels in these cities the rate of growth for two wheelers has slowed down and rate of growth of cars is increasing rapidly.