New Delhi, May 26 -- Located along the banks of the Ganga, at the foothills of the Himalayas, Uttarakhand's Rishikesh is globally renowned as the 'Yoga capital of the World' and a hub for adventure tourism.

Every year, the number of tourists visiting the city exceeds its local population by three times, putting immense pressure on the small hill town's air quality, roads and especially its public transport system.

The city lacks a designated city bus service and the movement of millions of tourists relies solely on autos, Vikrams (shared three-wheelers), or private vehicles.

"Tourists from around the world visit Rishikesh, so the traffic situation is terrible. On weekends, we locals have stopped stepping out of our homes. Recently,...