New Delhi, June 30 -- As air pollution, traffic deaths and travel times climb, Pune's dream of a sustainable transport future is faltering. With vehicle registrations nearly matching its population, the city is fast becoming a cautionary tale of urban planning gone awry.

Harish Kulkarni, a 38-year-old IT professional from Pune, spends over three hours a day commuting to and from work by car. His office is 20 kilometres away, yet the journey now takes him around 90 minutes each way.

"It used to take 40 minutes before the COVID-19 pandemic," Kulkarni recalled. "But traffic congestion, coupled with poor infrastructure and ongoing metro construction, has turned it into a punishing drive. I have been doing the same journey for the past 10 ye...