Introduction
Urban mobility is of immense importance to the economy and urban growth, especially in the movement of people and goods, rather than vehicles (SUTP, 2016). It is estimated that by 2050, 58 percent of the world’s population will be living in cities, and by 2100, this will rise to 85 percent (PTV Group). This global trend opens new challenges to existing infrastructure with issues like traffic congestion, air pollution, urban heat, etc. The rise of such challenges paved the way for the concept of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to emerge as a potential solution.
UMTA is an authority responsible for the preparation of a ‘comprehensive mobility plan’ for the city, organising investments in urban transport infrastructure, establishing effective coordination among various urban transport agencies, and managing the ‘Urban Transport Fund’ (UTF). This institutional framework was designed to help govern the urban transport system better in cities.
Need
Indian cities face dual transportation challenges: a rising urban population, and increased ownership of private vehicles, with insufficient public transport and a lack of investment in sustainable mobility. Inadequate regulations and poor urban planning have failed to address these issues. As a result, there is an urgent need for better transportation management, prompting consideration of Urban Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTA) to tackle these complex problems.
UMTA holistically oversees the formulation of proposals by various agencies, including traffic police, development authorities, transport departments, and municipal corporations. These agencies would also be responsible for regulatory functions, strategy and policy development, managing daily issues, managing demand for transportation, and monitoring work that is delegated to these implementing agencies (SUTP, 2016).
Policy evolution
The concept of UMTA first originated in 1964, when the then President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson signed an act creating which UMTA was charged with providing federal assistance for mass transit projects. Later in the 1970s, the resources and responsibilities of UMTA were expanded. In addition, the law recognized public transportation as a crucial component of America’s total mobility, elevating the importance of transit by providing funds for highways (Schofer, J. L., 2024).
London introduced a unified transport authority back in 2000 known as the ‘Transport for London’ (TfL). TfL is primarily responsible for day to day operations of all public transport networks in London and the city’s main roads. Similarly there is Transport for Greater Manchester and Transport for West Midlands in the United Kingdom. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore, the Syndicat des Transports Parisiens (STP) in Paris known for their successful model of public transport services.
Cities across the world which are able to offer a successful public transport was primarily relied on an integrated approach to all modal options through the lens of last-mile connectivity, a critical determinant for the large-scale adoption of any mass public transport mode by the masses (ORF, 2022)
Road for India
The concept of UMTA was first recommended in 2006 under the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), with the idea of facilitating coordinated planning and implementation of urban transport programs and managing integrated urban transport systems. The policy documents suggested the creation of UMTA in cities with a population of ten lakh or more, which are commonly referred to as ‘million cities’. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), and the 12th FiveYear Plan also reinforced this concept. The Metro Rail Policy of 2017 made UMTAs mandatory for cities seeking central assistance for metro projects, giving significant impetus to their implementation (MoHUA, 2017). These policy interventions reflect the government’s growing recognition of the need for integrated urban transport planning and management.
Initially cities like Bhopal, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Tiruchirappalli, and Vijayawada, had made decisive moves towards its establishment. However, Mumbai and Delhi’s experience with UMTA explains the approach towards such central mandates (ORF, 2022). Recently, over the past 3-4 years, there has been a resurgence of UMTAs across different cities including Kochi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. In Kochi, the Kochi Metro has taken up a leadership role in developing the UMTA, while in Chennai, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has taken it upon itself to bring the UMTA to fruition, and in Bengaluru, the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has taken on that role to enact Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA). Yet compared to the system in foreign countries, India still needs a framework to ensure the smooth functioning of UMTA ensuring inter-agency coordination and financial autonomy given that urban transport is managed by multiple agencies.
Way Forward
The establishment of an autonomous authority represents an important step in India’s efforts to modernise and integrate urban transport systems. As Indian cities continue to grow and face increasing transport challenges, the role of UMTAs is likely to become more crucial in ensuring sustainable urban mobility.
Lekhani Hamen Raja is an intern at Artha Global.
