New Delhi, May 16 -- On most mornings, 45-year-old Hage sets out from her home in Itanagar to do the household shopping. She prefers to walk, a habit she's maintained over her 20 years of living in Arunachal Pradesh's capital. But now, walking has become increasingly difficult. "There are hardly any pedestrian routes except in some areas. I have to dodge traffic, jump puddles, and walk on broken roads," she says.

Public transport isn't an option either. A ride home from the market in a shared tempo costs her around Rs 50 a day. But if she takes an auto to her residence, it cost her Rs 200 per day. "That's why we prefer to use our personal car, even if the roads are jammed," she admitted. For Hage and many others, mobility has become a d...