As someone who regularly commutes to work and college using public transport, I have realized that the biggest challenge in urban mobility is not always the metro itself; it is the journey before and after it.
I travel by metro and bus almost every day. The metro lines are just a kilometer away from my house, and the connectivity between metro stations and major parts of the city is, honestly, impressive. The buses I use, especially routes like 29C and 41D, connect well to my workplace and college. Once I'm inside the metro or on the bus, the commute usually feels smooth, efficient, and comfortable. But the real issue begins with the first mile.
To reach the metro station from my house, I often have to rely on a Rapido bike, an auto, or a shared auto because the distance is not walkable. Even if it were a walkable distance, there are no proper footpaths in my neighbourhood. Where there are footpaths, they are broken, or encroached. If I therefore opt for a Rapido bike, several drivers now do not offer helmets to their passengers. As a student, I'm mostly on a budget. So when first-mile connectivity is impaired in these ways, I am forced to take an auto, which increases my commuting cost even more, and completely changes the economics of using public transport.
I use public transport for two major reasons. One, it is affordable, and two environmentally friendly. While public transport definitely remains the more eco-friendly option, the affordability aspect becomes questionable when multiple connecting rides are involved. If I take a vehicle to reach the station, then use the metro, and again take another ride to complete the final stretch, the total cost sometimes becomes almost equal to or even more than taking a direct auto for the entire journey. For example, consider my commute to college today. I paid Rs 80 to an auto to get to the metro station, and Rs 30 for my metro ticket. Then I spent another 80 rupees from the station to my college - totalling 190 rupees. If I had taken an auto directly from home to my college, it would have cost me only Rs. 100-120. So despite having three metro lines located near my home, it’s cheaper and more convenient for me to take an auto instead.
I feel this is one of the main reasons many cities struggle to increase public transport usage even after investing heavily in metro infrastructure. The metro system itself is not the problem. In fact, when it works well, I find it one of the most comfortable and efficient ways to travel through the city. The issue lies in the missing connection between public transport systems and people’s actual destinations. There are Smart Bikes available in certain areas to solve this last-mile problem, but many of them are either broken, poorly maintained or difficult to access. In 2019, when the Smart Bike Mobility Scheme was launched, there were 13,000 rentals during weekends and 500 during weekdays whereas now it’s dropped drastically to 200-400 on weekends and 50 on weekdays. This is not just due to a lack of infrastructure but also the process of renting it. The payment or booking procedure involves card or online payments, which takes away the opportunity of booking such services from most people in society.
No proper cycling zones have been developed. Even if there is a special space signified by a painted line on the road, it is used to park vehicles, thereby taking away the main purpose of the zone.
Peak-hour commuting adds another layer of difficulty. Between 6 pm and 8 pm, buses become extremely crowded. Even if bus frequency is increased over peak demand time, it has not fully addressed the congestion problem. This is usually when I end up booking a Rapido or taking a shared auto instead. Personally, I prefer using public transport during non-peak hours and switching to private modes during peak hours for convenience. But this is not an affordable option for everyone. Importantly, it makes traffic worse over peak time with people like me on private transport, defeating the purpose of public transport.
One thing I have noticed while commuting is how mentally exhausting public transport can sometimes become, not because of the journey itself, but because of the uncertainty around it. Before I even leave home, I’m already thinking about whether I’ll get the bus on time, whether the metro will be overcrowded, whether I’ll find a shared auto easily, or whether Rapido prices will suddenly shoot up because of peak-hour demand, or if the auto will get booked. Sometimes the actual travelling feels easier than planning how to make all the connections work smoothly. As a woman who frequently uses the metro, it usually feels much safer and more comfortable compared to travelling alone on isolated roads or waiting in unfamiliar areas when I travel in the metro. But the issue again comes back to the last mile. Even if the metro journey itself feels safe, getting to and from the station can sometimes feel uncomfortable, especially during late evenings, poorly lit streets, unwalkable footpaths, and in lonely areas. I think this is something many women silently factor into their commuting decisions every single day. There’s always a mental calculation happening in the background - whether the road is safe to walk on, whether a shared auto will be available quickly, whether waiting for the next bus alone feels safe, or whether it’s easier to simply book a private ride and avoid the uncertainty altogether.
I have also realized that better public transport is not just about moving people from one place to another. For me, it genuinely affects the overall experience of living in the city. On days when the commute feels smooth and stress-free, I feel more willing to step out, explore places, and rely less on private transport. It makes the city feel more accessible and comfortable. I honestly feel that if commuting became more seamless, safer, and less tiring, many more people like me - especially women and students would choose public transport more often.
Yet despite these challenges, I do enjoy traveling by public transport. There is something deeply human about it. I love listening to music while travelling, especially on the metro or bus. It somehow creates a quiet zone even in the middle of the crowd. There’s something special about travelling through the city with soft Pradeep Kumar or Ilaiyaraja songs playing in your ears. In the middle of a crowded metro or bus, the music somehow creates a world of its own, making you feel like the main character in a film while the city quietly moves around you. It’s a completely different kind of vibe - one that turns even an ordinary commute into something memorable.
Sometimes, when the bus isn't too crowded, I enjoy simply observing people, their conversations, expressions, routines, and interactions. At other times, I am just lost in my own thoughts. Using public transportation has helped me understand the city better. It has exposed me to people from different walks of life and given me perspectives and experiences that private transport would have isolated me from.
When I think about the future of our city, I hope for a more walkable and commuter-friendly environment. I wish our roads had proper footpaths that are genuinely usable and safe. I believe government-funded feeder services or shared autos connecting neighbourhoods to nearby metro stations could significantly improve last-mile connectivity. Not only would this make commuting easier, but it could also encourage vehicle pooling, reduce traffic congestion, and lower emissions. Dedicated cycling infrastructure could also make a huge difference. Proper cyclist lanes and better-maintained e-cycle systems would encourage more people to use sustainable transport modes for shorter distances or last-mile connectivity.
Public transport in our city already has strong potential. What it truly needs now is better integration, smoother transitions, and infrastructure that supports commuters beyond just the metro station. Because for many people, including me, the problem is not the public transport system itself. It is what comes before and after it.
For a city to truly become commuter-friendly, public transport should feel like a complete journey rather than disconnected segments stitched together by inconvenience.
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