Governance of the Shared Intermediate Public Transport Sector in Small and Medium Cities

Public transportation in India, particularly in small and medium cities, is not solely provided by public buses. In several of these cities, privately owned and operated shared intermediate public transport (Shared IPT) modes play an active role in bridging gaps in public transportation availability. Shared IPT includes shared vehicles such as share-autos, shared taxis, and minibuses that run along city routes, providing affordable and frequent transportation to commuters.

Despite their important role in providing mobility services, the mainstream policy framework does not adequately support the operational needs of the Shared IPT sector. Dr. Gaurav Mittal’s work in Dehradun and Shillong traces how, in the absence of a clear national policy framework, the Shared IPT sector evolves in a decentralised manner, responding to local policy and regulatory decisions, local power brokers such as regional transport officers, operator networks, and neighbourhood stakeholders.

Mittal’s central finding is that these services can be characterised as “Daggamaar” modes, referring to the ad hoc, temporary, and arbitrary nature of their operations and regulations. This temporariness arises from how local authorities—such as the Regional Transport Office—regulate these services through temporary provisions and exceptions. Local stakeholders, including neighbourhood committees and operator cartels, impose additional conditions on the operations of these vehicles, adding to this arbitrariness.

Attempts to introduce new schemes and programmes in transportation—without adequately addressing existing policy confusions—further contribute to the continuation of “Daggamaar” conditions, leading to recurring conflicts and negotiations.

This form of regulation, combined with local political dynamics, creates challenges in providing safe, reliable, and well-integrated transportation services in small and medium cities. It also raises questions about effectively integrating IPT with other forms of public transportation and encouraging innovations within the sector.

About the Podcast:

This episode of the Policy Beyond Mobility podcast examines how the Shared IPT sector operates in small and medium Indian cities, highlighting its role in bridging transport gaps and the challenges created by fragmented, ad hoc local regulations.

Tune in to delve into the evolving governance of the Shared IPT sector in Indian cities.

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