Multimodal integration in India: Opportunities, challenges, and strategies for sustainable urban mobility

This study explores the opportunities and challenges of advancing multimodal integration for sustainable urban mobility in India. With rapid urbanization and increasing motorization, Indian cities face issues of congestion, air pollution, and social inequity. Multimodal integration, the seamless integration of different transportation modes, is a promising approach to address these challenges. The study assesses the current state of urban mobility in India, examines the concepts and benefits of multimodal integration, and identifies key opportunities, including supportive policies, technological advancements, and public-private partnerships. It also discusses challenges such as institutional barriers, financial constraints, and the need for behavioral change. Case studies of successful initiatives in Delhi and Ahmedabad demonstrate the potential benefits of integrated transport systems. The study proposes recommendations for advancing multimodal integration, focusing on policy reforms, infrastructure development, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement. It concludes by summarizing key findings and identifying future research directions, emphasizing the need for further investigation into long-term impacts, innovative funding mechanisms, emerging technologies, comparative policy analysis, and social and behavioral aspects of sustainable urban mobility. This research contributes to the growing knowledge on multimodal integration and sustainable urban mobility in India, providing valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and transportation professionals working towards creating more sustainable, efficient, and inclusive cities.