New Delhi, May 27 -- For many Hyderabadis, the daily commute is a lesson in endurance. Metro rides are patchy, buses overcrowded, and walking or cycling remains risky in a city built more for cars than people. As congestion slows the city to a crawl, urban experts say transport systems are failing the very people they're meant to serve.

"The public transport in Hyderabad is neither cheap nor fast," said K Nagarjuna, who works in a private firm. A one-way journey on a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus from his home in Almasguda Kaman to Tarnaka would cost him Rs 160.

"It's cheaper for me to travel by bike. Where is the incentive to switch to public transport? If I take the metro, I have to spend Rs 60 just to get an...