India’s metro systems are finally getting the global recognition they deserve. Travel vloggers from around the world are calling Delhi Metro one of the best in the world — clean, safe, on time, and affordable. In 2024 alone, it clocked 6.7 million daily riders and covered nearly 400 kilometres across the city. But here’s the catch: while metros have transformed how millions travel, they haven’t changed how most Indians complete their daily journeys. The gap between a polished metro experience and the crumbling bus system that follows is wide — and growing.
Public transport falls apart beyond the metro
Delhi needs over 11,000 public buses to meet demand, but only has about 7,000. In Mumbai, the once-iconic BEST fleet has dropped to just 3,000 buses — when the requirement is more than double that. Bengaluru is short by at least 1,500 buses. The result is painfully long wait times, overcrowded stops, and no real-time updates — turning last-mile travel into a daily gamble.
A problem of poor integration
While cities like Vienna, Seoul, and Singapore have designed public transport as one unified system — where metros, buses, trams, and footpaths work in sync — Indian cities continue to treat metros as standalone trophies. There's little coordination between modes, no shared ticketing, and weak planning around metro stations. What should be a seamless transfer becomes a frustrating disconnect.
Urban planning that leaves people behind
This failure has real-world consequences. With no reliable last-mile support, commuters increasingly turn to private vehicles, worsening traffic, emissions, and inequality. Low-income passengers, in particular, suffer the most — relying on buses that simply don’t come on time or at all.
The way forward: One system, not many
India’s mobility crisis won’t be solved by metros alone. It needs an ecosystem — one where the metro is part of a network that includes frequent buses, shaded footpaths, integrated ticketing, and a commuter-first approach. Without this shift, even the best metros can’t carry the burden of broken transport systems.
