On a very regular basis one gets stuck in a huge traffic jam, with hundreds of vehicles being added to the roads everyday, the traffic situation is just getting worse. But the government data says otherwise. Government data shows that nearly 90% of Indians don't own a vehicle. This points to the need to scale up public transport, both to provide affordable travel options to such citizens and to prevent them from buying private vehicles and adding to the traffic chaos.

Government is preparing a roadmap to revitalise state public transport bodies as part of its new scheme ‘Move in India’. According to government estimates, there are 18.64 crore vehicles in the country, including two-wheelers. Of these, 18 lakh are buses, which include a large number of mini buses and those owned by schools and other educational institutions.

Worryingly, only around 1.6 lakh buses are owned by state road transport undertakings, which serve as the main mode of mass road transport across states. Under the scheme, they will get more funds. "They will be able to procure more buses using the money and take measures to improve their efficiency. Those bringing reforms and doing well will get incentive of more funds," said a transport ministry source.