Motorized Two-Wheelers in Indian Cities: A Case Study of the City of Pune (Working Paper)

Madhav Pai, Ranjit Gadgil, Anjali Mahendra, Shweta Vernekar, Rebecca Heywood & Radha Chanchani

The publication will draw attention to the important and underexplored issue of motorized two-wheelers in Indian cities, where the two-wheeler is a ubiquitous transport mode. The paper will also discuss the experience of other countries and lessons learned in managing two-wheelers. 
Motorized two-wheelers present a challenge to transport policy and planning professionals on one hand because of the serious safety concerns and dependence on personal motorized vehicles that they engender.  On the other hand, they are an important transport mode for a large proportion of people who lack access to good quality, affordable public transport options.  Motorized two-wheelers deserve attention both as a separate mode with unique characteristics, as well as a mode that functions as a key part of an integrated multimodal transport system, and must be managed as such to ensure that the advantages of this mode can be realized, while the challenges can be mitigated.  The working paper is expected to initiate policy discussion on the topic, it will be followed by an expert workshop focusing on “design thinking” to solve some of the issues associated with managing two-wheelers, based on which, a more detailed report on two wheelers will be prepared in the future.
If you have any questions or comments, or would like to know more about this research, contact Lakshmi Rajagopalan at lakshmi.rajagopalan@wri.org.