April 19, 2010 | 6 Comments
By Akshay Mani

With rapid population growth in Indian cities and a rise in private car ownership, it is critical to reassess the role of auto-rickshaws in the urban transportation landscape, not only from the perspective of providing …

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Some Progress Made By Meter Jammers’ Creative Campaign
September 2, 2010 | No Comment
By: Jonna McKone
Traffic on the streets of Mumbai. Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/brajeshwar/

Traffic on the streets of Mumbai. Photo courtesy of Brajeshwar.

Mumbai is a hectic metropolis infamous for its traffic chaos. The hundreds of thousands of tiny black and yellow cabs and rickshaws that criss-cross the streets have caused plenty of frustration for the city’s 14 million residents.

To better tackle the issue, three Mumbai-based advertising professionals developed Meter Jam, an online and on-the-streets campaign, as Akshay Mani wrote about earlier this month.  The goal of the strike is to generate awareness about the auto and cab drivers who cause untold frustrations for travelers by refusing patrons and tampering with car meters.  More than 40,000 people participated in the August 12-13 strike. Some important people took note.

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Back to School Edition: Mobile Classrooms Set Up in the Slums of India’s Largest Cities
September 1, 2010 | No Comment
By: Jonna McKone
Back to School Edition: Mobile Classrooms Set Up in the Slums of India’s Largest Cities

Originally posted on TheCityFix.com.
For children in massive cities, access to education is dependent on mobility. India’s families living in marginal areas or fringe settlements face cultural, economic and geographic barriers that prevent …

Out of the Driver’s Seat: Are India’s Auto-Rickshaws Safe for Pedestrians and Cyclists?
August 18, 2010 | 5 Comments
By: Akshay Mani
Out of the Driver’s Seat: Are India’s Auto-Rickshaws Safe for Pedestrians and Cyclists?

Discussion of the road safety issues surrounding motorized transport modes should focus not just on the safety of in-vehicle passengers (passengers using the motorized modes) but also on how motorized modes affect the safety of …

Taxing for a Greener Mumbai
August 17, 2010 | One Comment
By: Victoria Broadus
Taxing for a Greener Mumbai

At the beginning of this month, the Maharashtra government approved a “green tax” on older, less efficient vehicles, as the Hindu reported. The tax affects commercial vehicles over eight years old and private vehicles over …

Meter Jam: A Campaign to Boycott Auto-Rickshaws and Taxis
August 13, 2010 | 4 Comments
By: Akshay Mani

“Meter Jam” is the new buzz word among quite a few commuters in Mumbai this week.  The Meter Jam campaign is the brainchild of three advertising professionals in Mumbai, who are using the power of online …

Mumbai through the Monsoon: Embracing the Rains
August 6, 2010 | 3 Comments
By: Victoria Broadus
Mumbai through the Monsoon: Embracing the Rains

According to Reuters India, monsoon rains were about 3 percent above normal in July — the highest level for the month since 2005.  This is good news for rural farmers, and the city-dwellers who rely …

$430 Million for Mumbai Rail System
June 30, 2010 | 3 Comments
By: Victoria Broadus
$430 Million for Mumbai Rail System

India’s Hindustan Times reported today that the World Bank has approved a $430 million project to help finance improvements in Mumbai’s suburban rail system, which carries nearly 7 million commuters daily.
The Mumbai Urban Transport Project-2A …

Mumbai through the Monsoon: As City Agencies Bicker, Residents Lose
June 22, 2010 | One Comment
By: Victoria Broadus
Mumbai through the Monsoon: As City Agencies Bicker, Residents Lose

This is part of our series following Mumbai through monsoon season.  You can find the first post here, and the second here.
Inter-agency conflict continues to make life more difficult for Mumbaikers on the move during the …

Mumbai through the Monsoon: Roads Flooded, Trains Stalled, Ten Dead
June 17, 2010 | 8 Comments
By: Victoria Broadus
Mumbai through the Monsoon: Roads Flooded, Trains Stalled, Ten Dead

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote the first post for a series following Mumbai through the monsoon.
On June 11, the monsoon officially arrived in Mumbai, signaling the start of an annual test of the …

Mumbai through the Monsoon: Before the Rains Begin
June 4, 2010 | 6 Comments
By: Victoria Broadus
Mumbai through the Monsoon: Before the Rains Begin

Over the next few months we are going to follow how Mumbai’s transportation infrastructure weathers monsoon season.
While the monsoon rains are crucial for largely agricultural India, they are a blight on India’s urban transportation infrastructure. …

Navi Mumbai: Retrofitting a “Planned” City
May 18, 2010 | 3 Comments
By: Karthik Rao Cavale
Navi Mumbai: Retrofitting a “Planned” City

Navi Mumbai is a planned city to the east of Mumbai proper, just across the Thane creek. Beginning in the 1960s, the Maharashtra government made a concerted effort to reduce congestion, crowding and environmental …