India, June 27 -- To address issues of congestion, pollution, and loss of productivity experienced in urban India and especially in light of 40% of India projected to live in cities by 2030, a white paper released by the Indian arm of global consulting firm Kearney on Thursday called for an overhaul of the existing urban public transport frameworks in India through measures such as a dedicated central standards authority that will define infrastructure design, vehicle specifications, operational protocols, and safety standards, leveraging global benchmarks while customising for local context.

The study also advocated adoption of last-mile connectivity, multimodal integration, and conducive land-use planning following globally recognised ...