Urban population, which accounted for 56 per cent of the total global population in 2020 up from 30 per cent in 1950, is expected to increase to 60 per cent by 2030, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs & Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep S. Puri said today.

”Of this, almost 90 per cent is anticipated to be in Asia and Africa. This accelerated urbanisation is the driving force behind the need for increased transportation of people and goods which is responsible for more than 30 per cent of the world’s energy consumption,” he said inaugurating the 14th edition of Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference 2021 here. He reiterated that sustainable mobility and universal access was crucial for achieving the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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The main theme of this year’s conference is “Mobility for All” which focuses on providing equitable access and promote inclusive urban transportation which aims to provide affordable, clean, safe, informative, efficient and accessible transport systems, with special attention to the diverse needs from all factions of the society, especially the specially-abled, elderly, women and children.

Puri said that with the government’s focus towards the world’s largest vaccination drive, which has now crossed one billion mark, India has taken a lead in this direction. He said that efforts should be made towards continued reduction in transmission of the virus.

He said that the National Urban Transport Policy of 2006 highlighted “Moving people rather than vehicles”, following which most vision documents and policy statements related to urban transportation were formulated.
On the Metro Rail Policy 2017, the minister said that in order to achieve “mobility for all”, promotion of seamlessly integrated urban transport, and universal accessibility, the ministry had disseminated the policy. The policy stresses on induction of mass transit mediums, which has not only provided a truly reliable and accessible transit medium for the vulnerable sections of the society, but also mandated ensuring a more compact and walkable development patterns for the users.