tr anspor tation COVID-19 r edefines public · lockdowns were announced, MoRTH issued public...

Knowledge Partner

COVID-19 redefines publictransportation

September, 2020

Message from MoRTHCOVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact onhuman interaction and has altered all systems requiringhuman co-operation. It has disrupted the way peopleinteract with businesses and government, requiringreimagining of modes for interaction of citizens withGovernments and businesses.

Public transport sector was the first to bear the brunt ofthe panic caused by the pandemic. While publictransport was suspended across cities worldwide, duringFebruary-March, Google mobility report tracking visitorsto public transit locations reported a decline of 60-90%traffic. On the same line, as per a World Bank-UITP studyon the impact of COVID-19 on public transport in India,the passenger traffic has reduced by 80-100% during thelockdown, whereas, the economic fallout to bus operatorshas been to the tune of INR 69,000 Crores. Though therehas been gradual recovery to the extent of 40-70% ofnormal traffic, the traffic pattern has shifted at leasttemporarily to increased use of private cars and bikes.The shift not only creates more than usual congestion onroads and increase in vehicular pollution but also resultsin continued revenue loss to public transport operator. Itmakes accessibility of urban workspaces difficultimpacting related sectors like real estate andconstruction. The recovery pattern for public transport willlargely depend on measures and actions taken bygovernment and public officials to contain the pandemic,support provided to operators and the efforts made byoperators to provide safe and sanitized travel spaces topassengers.

Government of India has been proactive in dealing withthe continuously evolving situation, from the onset of thepandemic. Several steps have been undertaken by GoIand MoRTH to deal with the disruption in goods andpeople movement. MoRTH was at the forefront of the fightagainst COVID-19 and initiated an early response tohandle the public health concerns. Even before the publiclockdowns were announced, MoRTH issued publicadvisories on sanitation, social distancing,minimization of non-essential travel and directedtransport officials to mobilize all its resources toprepare, control and contain the impact of the pandemic.During the early days of onset of lockdown guidelines

were issued for deemed extension of licences, permitsand fee payments as measures of citizen facilitation. Theministry has also issued guidelines to increase the extentof contactless travel through speedier adoption oftechnology.

The way forward, for recovery of operations and to ensureservice delivery to passengers will largely depend oncreating safe and sanitized personal bubbles around thepassengers and the drivers. While individuals have to bemandated to wear protective clothing, use sanitizer andensure personal hygiene, STUs and operators will have toensure continued disinfection before every trip, physicaldistancing and ensuring complete adoption ofcontactless ticketing and travel. STUs will also have toincrease the number and frequency of buses on highdemand routes to cater to the supply reduction due tophysical distancing. Shared public transport operatorslike cab aggregators, taxi associations, transportassociations need to lead the effort in deployingtechnology to safeguard passengers and designinginnovative personal hygiene protocols to prevent spreadof the virus. Similarly, the hospitality industry specificallythe HoReCa (Hotels-Restaurants-Cafetaria) segment willhave to ensure similar sanitation arrangements for theircontinued operations recreating demand for individualtravel and thereby the revival of public transport. Ministryof RT&H will continue to deploy adequate resources tobuild public confidence in public transport sector and tosupport operators in their endeavour to restore growth ofthe sector.

COVID-19 redefines public transportation

Giridhar Aramane

Secretary, Ministry of RoadTransport and Highways

Foreword


Public transportation has been one of the hardest-hitsectors owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdownimposed to curb the spread of the contagion put a stopto large parts of public transportation services and onlyrecently, has it begun to open up to the general public ina phased manner. Before the pandemic, publictransportation in India had been under increasingpressure, serving as the primary mode of transit in largecities and growing urbanisation leading to more peoplecoming to metro cities.

Recent guidelines signal the Government’s intention tofully unlock the economy and open public transportationfor the citizens, in a phased manner. However, even withmetro services resuming in early September, challengeswould continue regarding the fear of the contagion,making people hesitant to return to public transportation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted thehuman way of life and business, making safety andhygiene the top concerns for people when the lockdownfully eases. It is therefore essential for public transportauthorities to develop protocols and take steps tomaintain higher hygiene standards that can instil a senseof confidence among the passengers. Implementingmeasures such as the mandatory use of masks for allstaff and passengers, use of the Aarogya Setu app,disinfection of all vehicles and maintenance of socialdistancing, will go a long way in assuaging fears amongtravellers.

With many users of public transport now preferring towork from home, it will take some time before publictransport witnesses pre-lockdown levels ofpassengers. Though people would choose to use theirpersonal vehicles even after the country is fully unlocked,

many would return to using public transport. The carryingcapacity of buses may drop to half due to socialdistancing requirements and could significantly strainfinances for the public transportation authorities.Meanwhile, sanitising buses and providing protectiveequipment to drivers and staff will further increase costs. Despite the challenges brought forth by the pandemic,there is an opportunity to transform the way publictransport functions and introduce technologicaldevelopments such as contactless ticketing, making wayfor an efficient and secure public transport system.

We hope that this report by ASSOCHAM and PrimusPartners will support Government in transforming publictransport in the face of the pandemic. It sharesrecommendations wherein various innovative solutionscan be introduced to deal with the current challengesand improve long-term efficiency, without comprising onthe safety of its passengers.

Niranjan Hiranandani

President - ASSOCHAM & Co-founder - Hiranandani Group

Deepak Sood

Secretary GeneralASSOCHAM

ForewordCOVID-19 has challenged the basic premise of publictransport and has posed many unanswered questions.Ever since the lockdown announcement in the country, alarge part of public transport services remains non-operational or have been operating at reduced capacity,even though the lockdown has been removed in most ofthe country. Passengers are concerned about cleanlinessand disinfecting of vehicles and adherence to socialdistancing norms. They would like to work from home(WFH) to continue for some more time or other policymeasures to be adopted, including flexible working hoursand staggered office schedule. For public transportauthorities, the challenge lies in ensuring that drivers andconductors are adopting safety measures, vehicles arecleaned and disinfected at a regular frequency, and allnorms of social distancing are strictly enforced. Reducedpassenger load also means that the financial situation ofpublic transport authorities and aggregators can befurther strained. However, this is also an opportunity forpublic transport authorities and governments to facilitatethe adoption of technological advancement, includingcontactless ticketing and digital payments, thus boostingthe vision of Digital India.

ASSOCHAM and Primus Partners have conceptualizedand prepared this report with the perspective to help lookinto the concerns raised by passengers and challengesfaced by the public transport operators in India. Thereport also outlines the steps that can help win back theconfidence of the passengers without any compromise insafety and hygiene. The report is based on inputsreceived from citizens across the eight large cities ormetropolitan regions in India, in addition to the views ofsenior officials in

Government and the private sector involved in thebusiness of transport and its allied services. In a well-rounded approach, the views of transport authorities;app-based cab aggregators; technology majors;contactless ticketing and digital payment serviceproviders have been considered. Also, the report looks atthe global perspective on how other countries acrossthe Americas, Europe and Asia have reacted to this crisisso that the learnings are documented, and India doesn’thave to reinvent the wheel.

The report would provide public transportauthorities/operators, aggregators and governmentswith clear points to ponder and act upon so that publictransport can be brought on track at the earliest withoutcompromising on safety and hygiene. We endeavour toprovide the stakeholders with clear-cutrecommendations and learnings so that India canoperate the much-needed engine of public transportvery soon and with full rigour.

Devroop Dhar

Co-Founder & MDPrimus Partners

Davinder Sandhu

Former AdvisorWorld Bank


1

Table of Contents

2 Public Transport hits a roadblock post-lockdown

3 India would prefer to Work From Home (WFH)

4Hygiene and Safety – the crucial ingredients to getPublic Transport going

5 Contactless Ticketing and DigitalPayments would be a gamechanger

6 Aarogya Setu gets a thumbs up from citizens

Background

1. Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impactedeveryone and almost every aspect of life. The world isdealing with challenges which were hitherto unknownand the impact of this is visible on the global economy.The Transport sector, especially public transport, hasbeen impacted significantly by the pandemic.

ASSOCHAM and Primus Partners, through this publication,have looked the public transport ecosystem in eight (8)of the largest cities and metropolitan regions in Indiathrough citizen

viewpoint, expert opinion and our in-depth analysis. Thefocus was on gauging the impact of the pandemic onpublic transport and what needs to be done to bringback people’s confidence in it. The findings of the survey,views of experts and analysis are presented across fivechapters of this report. Each chapter covers theseaspects in detail.

Gender

34%66%

Age Group

28% 29% 26% 11% 6%

18-25years

26-35years

36-45years

46-60years

Over60 years

Monthly Income (INR)

10%

Under25K

13%

25K -50K

22%

50K -1L

25%

1L- 2L

30%

Over 2L

Job/Service (59%)

Business/Self Employed (19%)

Student (17%) Homemaker (3%)

Retired (2%)

Mumbai/MMR (31%) Delhi/NCR (20%)

Ahemdabad (14%) Kolkata (13%)

Bengaluru (8%) Hyderabad (6%) Chennai (5%)

Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad (3%)

Occupation City


Characteristics of Sample set

2. Public Transport hits a roadblock post-lockdown

With the rapid growth of urbanisation in India, publictransport has become an intrinsic part of city life for intraand intercity commute. Public transportation is theprimary mode of transit in large cities and urban regionsin India. With the introduction of Mass Rapid Transit(MRTs), Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), improvedquality low floor buses, App-based Cabs, more and morepeople in urban areas are finding usage of publictransport reliable, convenient, comfortable and safe.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantlychanged this as we have seen from our survey in theeight cities.

Based on the survey conducted by us, we found thatbefore the lockdown, 55% of the people in these cities ormetropolitan regions were using public transport. Publictransport was preferred by more than 2/3 (>67%) of thepeople in two of the most densely populated cities -Kolkata and Mumbai. It was less prevalent in cities likePune and Ahmedabad.

Did you prefer public transportbefore the lockdown?

As more and more people prefer to use their own vehicles post lockdown, it may lead to trafficcongestion in cities

Fig1: Preference for Transport before Lockdown

Yes55%

No45%

What was the city-wise usage ofpublic transport pre-lockdown?

Kolkata

Mumbai

67.5%

67.4%

Hyderabad 61.1%

55.7%Delhi

52.0%Bengaluru

42.9%Chennai

28.6%Ahemdabad

11.1%Pune

Fig2: Preference for Transport before Lockdown

Bus travelers maintaining socialdistancing in Mumbai


However, post lockdown, 73% of the respondents wouldprefer to use their own vehicles (either 2-wheeler or 4-wheeler) and only 21% are looking at continuing to usepublic transport, which is down by a whopping 34%. Carsales in India have already started looking up with1,97,523 units being recorded in July 2020, which is 69%more than the previous month and just 1% less than July2019[1]. This trend, along with a reluctance to use publictransport, may lead to congestion in large cities in timesto come.

[1] "Car sales rev up in July", Domain-B, 03 August 2020

UsePersonal

4-Wheeler

52%

Use PublicTransport

21%

Walk / UseBicycle

6%

UsePersonal

2- Wheeler

21%

Post-lockdown, what would be your preferredmode of travel for your daily commute?

Fig 3: Post-lockdown, what would be your preferred mode of travel

Passengers in London keeping distancewhile boarding the trainSource: BBC

In Singapore, trains marked withstickers, indicating available seats andstanding room.


Our View

Governments, Corporates and Public Transport Agencies andoperators need to reinvent themselves to cope up with thischallenge, as we embrace the new normal.

Public Transport Agencies need to look at various means tomake travel safer for commuters and thus win back theconfidence of people –

Ensure all frontline employees (e.g. drivers, conductorsetc.) wear safety gears (masks, gloves, face shields) at alltimes

Use of touch-free sanitizers and Contact-less washbasinswith soap dispensers at offices, railway and metro stations,bus depots etc.

Disinfecting the vehicle after every ride

Ensure no passenger is allowed without wearing masks

Explore possible options in local trains, metro trains andbuses to create external airflow to dissipate viral particles

Change of airflow systems in an air-conditionedenvironment to avoid infectious particles dissemination

Increase adoption of digital payment and contactlessticketing

Increased usage of private vehicles would lead to congestionand choke up our cities. This may lead to an increase in traveltime, higher pollution and CO2 emission and higher fuelusage. Governments and Corporates need to usher in reformsand policy level changes to help tide over this crisis.Corporates can look at staggered working hours so thateveryone doesn’t have to report to the office at the same time.Working from home can be encouraged wherever possibleand permissible. Also, the day off for employees can bebalanced across days, so that the load on the road can bereduced in equal proportion.

Governments would need to look at reforms which facilitatework from home (e.g. allowing computers, laptops to be takenhome with adequate checks, when company operates fromexport promotion zones, etc.). Governments would also needto rework their project financials for public transport andadopt newer models to make transport projects viable (e.g.the financial modelling of PPP projects would undergo changeas the passenger load numbers may change). Governmentsshould consider urban design changes, which promotepedestrianization and the use of non-motorized transport. Thiscan significantly decongest cities and would be beneficial notjust now, but also in the long run.


Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport: Leading the WayNavi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) wasestablished in 1996 and presently has a fleet of 510 buses,doing on an average 2682 trips daily. NMMT ferriesabout2.5-3 Lakh passengers per day on an average. It isthe lifeline for the city of Navi Mumbai and its adjoiningareas and over a period of time has established itself asa leading technology driven public transport authority.

NMMT has implemented Integrated TransportManagement System (ITMS) for managing and drivingbus operations and has a state of the art command andcontrol centre to help operate its fleet. NMMT has one ofthe first Public Transport Authority in India to bring incontactless ticketing and digital payments, which wouldbe extremely important as public transport in Indiareadies itself to the post lockdown world.

While Covid-19 has disrupted operations of NMMT tosome extent, but we have started operations again.Presently, as on 31st July 2020, we are operating on anaverage about 200 buses, which is less than 50% of ournormal capacity. NMMT has taken multiple steps toensure safety and security of passengers and staffmembers during this time. We are happy to say thatthere have been zero fatalities as on 31st July among thedrivers and conductors at NMMT. Some of the steps takenby us include –

All drivers and conductors are given masks andgloves on a daily basis from the depot

All drivers and conductors are provided with sanitizers

Strictly enforcing social distancing with one passengerper two seats and a maximum of 5 standing

Buses are disinfected after every trip

Buses are cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis

Mostly younger drivers and conductors pressed intofrontline service as the number of trips have comedown

NMMT has always been a frontrunner in usage of digitalpayment and contactless ticketing. Our focus on digitalpayments and contactless ticketing is also expected tohelp in this situation as more and more people preferusing digital payments. We have introduced paymentsthrough ways and means like our Mobile App, use ofcredit and debit cards, Google Pay, Paytm amongstothers. NMMT was probably the first public transportauthority in India to introduce an open loop card. OurNavi card can be used for purchase of tickets andmonthly passes, as well as can be used for regular retailuse.

Focus on digital payments and contactless ticketing, aswell as safety and hygiene are the two crucial aspects aswe move into post lockdown world, and NMMT hasadopted both to make travel safer for all commuters.

Shirish AradwadGeneral Manager, NMMT

Cleaning and disinfection of busesin Maharashtra


3. India would prefer to Work From Home (WFH)

The current pandemic and accompanying lockdownhave forced businesses and organizations to reevaluatetheir short to medium term plans and strategies toensure the sustainability of operations. Facilitatingremote working for employees during the lockdown hasbeen critical and the most challenging aspect forcompanies worldwide. Companies that did factor in suchdisruptions before the pandemic and incorporatedadequate measures into their business strategies havebeen able to respond to the changing conditions toensure seamless continuity of operations.

Our survey shows that 79% of the respondents in theseeight cities or metropolitan regions were able to workfrom home during the pandemic.

Post lockdown, we see that people would prefer someamount of work from home to continue, with 74%favouring it.

Companies have also seen the benefit in WFH, as itbecomes location agnostic, allows companies to cutdown cost on expensive real estate (which canbe redeployed for employee benefits, training, R&D etc.)

and hire talent across the country without having to focuson relocation. Recently, Zensar (a leading IT firm) had 112new joiners who would permanently work from homefrom cities and towns such as Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur,Vijayawada, Chandigarh, Patna and Nashik. This wouldallow employees to have a better work-life balance andnot congest any of the bigger cities. Such initiativeswould also lead to the growth of tier 2, tier 3, tier 4 citiesand towns in India.

74% of the respondents would prefer some form of work from home to continue post lockdown

How do you want to work post-lockdown?

People want to continue working fromhome and expect corporate policies to

accommodate this flexibility

How did you work during thelockdown?

79% people managed to work fromhome during the lockdown

11%

10%

79%

Worked FromHome

Took Leave/Break

Travelled toOffice

Fig4: Working venue during lockdown Fig5: Preference for working post-lockdown

74% people would prefer some formof WFH to continue post lockdown

26%

56%

18%

Partial WFH

CompleteWFH

Working fromoffice


Corporate Policy changes – Need of the hourCorporates must consider and revise policies toincorporate a decentralized working structure, to ensurepreparedness for future pandemics. Professionalssurveyed displayed hope that companies would reviewand/or incorporate remote working, staggered workinghours (so that everyone doesn’t report to work at thesame point of time, thus ensuring less congestion in thecity and lesser travel time) and staggered/flexibleworking days.

While work from home should be encouraged, however,corporates would also need to look at critical aspects like

Information and data security

Effective use of business collaboration and meetingtools

Bringing in impactful employee engagementinitiatives to prevent feelings of loneliness and socialisolation amongst employees

Creating a platform for providing emotional supportto employees as they feel the impact of socialisolation in the absence of physical interactions in theoffice

Focusing on mental well-being of employees

Provide additional allowances and reimbursementslike internet charges, electricity bill, phone bill etc.

Fig6: Preference for corporate policies

What are the top 3 policies thatcorporates can implement?*

StaggeredWorking Days

StaggeredWorking Hours

Work fromhome

542 31

3.60

3.38

3.29

Remote working - the new normal

As companies and governmental organizations slowlystart resuming normalcy, it is seen that remote workingcan provide tremendous benefits to companies andgovernments as it would:

Decongest large cities and facilitate reverse migration

Lead to growth and development of smaller cities andtowns, thus helping in Government’s agenda of overallgrowth in the country

Help companies reduce cost on real estate, which canbe redeployed for aspects like employee benefits andR&D. It can ease the bottom-line pressure ofcompanies to a great extent in the long run.

As the world recuperates from the effect of COVID-19,organizations worldwide will need to embrace thepossibility of future disruptions to work and need torevise their strategies to ensure preparedness for futurepandemics. Companies will need to do a thorough riskassessment to identify gaps in remote workingprocedures, implement policies and measures toensure business viability and sustainability despiteexternal threats.

Our View


*Note: On all similar graphs across the report, the respondents rated the parameters on a scale of 1 (lowest / least important)to 5 (highest / most important). The final scores shown here is the average of scores based on the responses given.

‘Secured Remote Worker’ is key to business continuityOver past couple of years, while a lot of organisationheavily encouraged flexible workforce, COVID-19 hascompelled almost all businesses to look for a reliableWork From Home (WFH) solution to ensure businesscontinuity. While the tech industry was more or less tunedto WFH even before the pandemic hit us, but many otherorganisations and industry desperately needed toenhance their infrastructure for business continuityplanning. For past few months it has been a new workculture of a flexible, yet productive work environment.However the success heavily depends on the following: 1. Seamless connectivity 2. User experience 3. End to end Security

There are technology solutions that can create an agile,resilient and secure infrastructure which can ensure theabove. The most important solution componentsensuring a ‘Secured Remote Worker’ in such anunprecedented situation are:

VPN connectivity with end to end encryption so that auser can connect from his/her home securely to theenterprise.

Identity management with Multi factor authenticationto ensure legitimate devices are only connected tothe enterprise network.

Seamless collaboration platform for audio, video andchat. User friendly options to share and collaborateamongst various teams.

Connect, access and collaborate from anywhere,anytime and any device.

Malware, data protection and compliance

Zero touch deployment of a Secure Remote Workerinfrastructure.

While Work from Home would reduce the chances ofspread of the pandemic to a great extent, however thatdoes not rule out the need for public transportcompletely. People may still need to travel for essentialwork or attending meetings or office on few occasionsetc. People are still scared or apprehensive to avail publictransport and we feel that technology can address theconcerns and allow them to travel safe and healthy.

Public transport is the backbone of cities, providing anessential service to keep cities moving. However, Publictransport has been hit hard by COVID-19. With ridershipsignificantly down, operators will have to face difficultquestions for their future viability. Businesses and all otheractivities across the globe have been adversely affectedwhich in return is impacting the economy. The demand-supply gaps are clearly visible in every sector. Lets look ata few use cases of technology enabling publictransportation to become more safe in era of socialdistancing.

Use of AI based technologies and video analytics forreal-time information flow between commuters andtransport providers, Artificial Intelligence (AI) andvideo analytics will help commuters to see real timepublic transport vehicle occupancy and alertauthorities in case of commuters occupancy is morethe allowed limit.

Real Time vehicle tracking will help commuters toknow when their public transport vehicle will arrive attheir stop and helps unnecessary crowd gathering inpublic transport stands.

E-Tickets for contactless travel and transactions

Technology enabled V2I (Vehicle to infrastructure)solutions which can help manage traffic lightintelligently so that travel time is less, and commuterscan spend less time in public transport.

Use of edge gateway for real time data transmissionfrom vehicle to central control centre

Edge based computing to run video analytics likemaintaining social distancing and face maskenforcement.

Covid-19 has thrown unforeseen challenges that needsus to rethink our work environment and publictransportation. At Cisco, we are working withGovernments and Organizations globally to be the bridgebetween these challenges and potential solutions andlooking forward to creating unique solutions in Indiancontext.

Ashish WattalDirector, Public Sector,

Cisco India


4. Hygiene and Safety – the crucial ingredients to get Public Transport goingWorking professionals are eager to get back to work,although they are concerned about their health andsafety while commuting on public transport. PublicTransport Operators need to take decisive steps to bringback people’s confidence in using public transport. Therespondents of our survey were asked about changesthat would reinstate their faith in public transport andhelp them prefer their previous methods of publictransport.

The most critical priority for commuters while travellingwith fellow passengers was making masks mandatory forall passengers and drivers/conductors, during the entireduration of the journey. Buses, Metros and Trains areconfined spaces with a high probability of transmissionand with many common contact surfaces. A compulsionto wear face masks followed by gloves and face shields,can help offset concerns of commuters and tip theirpreference to favouring public transport over theirpersonal vehicles.

It should be mandatory to wear masks inpublic transport

Fig9: Concerns in using Taxi

Top 3 behavioral changes wantedin fellow passengers

MandatoryFace Shields

MandatoryGloves

MandatoryMasks

542 31

4.0

3.4

3.2

Least important

3.8

3.7

Fig8: Concerns in using Bus/Metro

Top 3 concerns while using Bus orMetro

Irregulardisinfection

Having totouch things

Lack of SocialDistancing

542 31

3.9

Least important

Fig7: Behavioral changes wanted

Lack of social distancing is a key concernin buses and metros

Improper cleaning and disinfection of taxis/ autos/ andapp-based mobility vehicles such as Uber, Ola was thetop concern of passengers, followed closely by having totouch many common contact surfaces which mightincrease the rate of transmission. Commuters wereequally concerned about drivers not undertakingtemperature checks on a frequent basis.

Cleaning & disinfection and touch remainskey concern for travel by taxis and autos

Top 3 concerns while using Taxi /Auto / App Taxi

No drivertemperature

checks

Having totouch things

Impropercleaning

542 31

3.9

3.8

3.7

Least important


What do people want?Public Transport Authorities and operators need to focuson all aspects of safety and hygiene to ensure thatpassengers come back. Masks for drivers, availability ofhand sanitizers, cleaning and disinfection would becomethe most critical aspects to win back passengerconfidence.

Autos, Taxis and App based Cabs: Masksfor drivers, availability of hand sanitizers

and disinfecting after every ride willremain important

Fig11: Preferences when using App-based Taxi

App-based Taxi

Fig10: Preferences when using Taxi

Auto/Taxi

Disinfection afterevery ride

Hand SanitizerAvailable

Mandatory Masksfor Drivers

Mandatory Glovesfor Drivers

Mandatory FaceShields for Drivers

542 31

4.00

Least important

3.83

3.76

3.48

3.41

542 31

4.00

Least important

3.89

3.82

3.51

3.41

Buses, Metro & Train: People wantoperators to focus on disinfection &

cleaning and contactless ticketing forsafer travel

Fig12: Preferences when using Bus/Metro

Bus or Metro

5

MandatoryTemperatureScreening of

Passengers

Contactless /Mobile Ticketing

Daily cleaning &Disinfection of

vehicle

42 31

3.99

Least important

3.90

3.60

Sanitizer being provided to all bus staff


Safety and hygiene would remain the top concern forpeople once lockdown eases, and public transportauthorities, operators and stakeholders need to takesteps for it. Some critical aspects that should be taken upinclude:

Mandatory masks for all passengers - 'no mask - noride'

Drivers and conductors should be wearing masks andother protective gear like face shields, gloves etc.

Mechanism of screening of passengers and drivers toensure that there are no apparent symptoms of thedisease

Focus on cleaning and disinfecting vehicles

Cleaning and disinfecting bus stops, bus depots, andstations

Move to contactless ticketing and digital paymentsacross all modes, right from buses, metros, app-based cabs to autorickshaws and regular taxis.

Redesigning cabs, auto-rickshaws by introducingacrylic sheets or plexiglass to separate the driver fromthe passengers

Encouraging the use of the Aarogya Setu app


Our View

Hygiene & Safety – crucial ingredients to get Public Transport goingAs countries across the world edged towards a “stay athome” approach in the face of the pandemic, the firstthing that got affected was the public transport sector. Aspeople stayed at home in India the flights stopped, thepassenger trains were halted including the inter-city &the intra-city buses and the metro.

Different modes of public transport are used in India fromauto-rickshaws and taxis to railways and buses. As thecountry opens up the biggest challenge in the publictransport sector would be to implement social distancingalong with safety and sanitization protocols, and hence itwould need a lot of planning.

One thought is that to properly enforce social-distancing,additional fleets with larger frequency could be requiredto adjust the restricted number of commuters in eachfleet. However, the possibility is that due to the fear ofinfection spreading due to the crowd most commuterscould choose traveling in private modes like two-wheelers. At the same time, the carrying capacity ofbuses could drop due to social distancing requirements.Such dynamic changes in demand and supply willrequire great agility and planning in public transport tokeep the country and its cities moving.

Measures are needed to maintain safety and sanitizationto gain the public’s confidence in mass transport modes,to avoid a significant modal shift to road traffic which isnot environmentally sustainable.

Digital and analytical tools are needed to improveefficiency in public transport service delivery: Industryneeds to innovate to deliver better digital solutions,there’s significant scope to improve on applications likeAutomatic Vehicle Location Systems (AVLS), passengerinformation systems, digital ticketing & payment systemsand data analytics for performance management andservice planning so as to maintain safety & socialdistancing.

Precautions to prevent the spread of infections &sanitisation: Hygiene and safety both are of utmostimportance to curtail the spread of the pandemic. For

mobility to resume, safe behavior is non-negotiable -Buses must-have thermal screening, spaced seating;masks (compulsory); supervised boarding (from back)and de-boarding (from front); and open windows. Formetros, thermal screening; orderly boarding and de-boarding procedures; and spaced seating,wherever possible. Mandatory masks, and not riding ifyou have a cough, cold, fever, or were in contact with apositive person are some obvious precautions.Professional sanitisation of vehicles is a necessity toprevent the spread of the coronavirus. Due to the longdistances they cover, it may be impractical to halt andsanitise local buses and trains every two hours, therebyincreasing the risk.

Government initiatives needed to improve policies andregulations governing public transport: The Governmentwould need to take initiatives to improve transitattractiveness such as effectively implementing buspriority lanes and pricing regulations also increaseservice coverage is the other key measure needed toimprove public transport in smaller cities, suburban areasof the larger cities and in rural areas. We need todisincentivise private vehicle adoption throughcongestion pricing, parking charges, and variable pricingto modulate demand. Urban mobility needs to berethought with the rapid rollout of walking and cyclinginfrastructure at low costs while creating space for othersustainable options over a longer time horizon.

Other initiatives: At TCI we have opted for the AarogyaSetu APP and the remote Gate entry APP which is used forcontact less attendance and we have staggered ouroffice timings as well.

Similarly, we should try to encourage employers tostagger office hours to reduce crowd density of peakhours. Another option is using the government’s contact-tracking app Aarogya Setu, which is being used by 154.5million users, to track risk and allow only safe passengersto board.

We need action to be taken by both the authorities andthe public to keep our public transport systems safe. Ifstrict protocols are not maintained and a serious level ofviral transmission is later traced to public transport, theresult will be a mode shift to private vehicles. We need tounderstand that pollution and accidents kill more peoplein India than the pandemic is doing now and a modeshift away from public transport will have long-termconsequences. Our public transport must be perceivedas safe and in the long run, it will require significantinvestments to improve the overall service levels, tosupport its transition to zero-emission fleets, and todeliver quality services that attract users to choose publictransport over their personal vehicles.

Vineet AgarwalSenior VP - ASSOCHAM, Managing Director, TCI Group


Uber: Moving Cities SafelyThe CoVID-19 pandemic has ushered a “new normal”across sectors, including public transportation andshared mobility. Despite the numerous challenges posedby the spread of CoVID-19 and subsequent lockdownsacross the country, Uber continued supporting the citieswe operate in. Our mantra of #MoveWhatMatters duringthe lockdown led to a truly humbling experience ofproviding over 250 thousand free rides to frontline healthworkers and non-CoVID patients, in coordination with theNational Health Authority and state governments. Withthe nation now firmly on the path of ‘unlock’, theridesharing industry too has responded with mobilityservices to serve people meet their intra-city and inter-city travel needs, keeping in line with local restrictions.

As cities begin to reopen, Uber has a significant role toplay in building a safe ecosystem for commuters anddrivers on our platform. Working with the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and the US Centre for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC), we have put togethersafety recommendations geared towards ridesharing.Uber worldwide has allocated $50 Million to provide PPEsupplies like masks, disinfectant sprays and wipes, handsanitizers and gloves to driver partners and deliverypartners.

Some of the steps we have been following in the 70+cities in India that we are operational in are:

#NoMaskNoRide

Safety checklist for drivers before they go online

Before every trip, riders must confirm that they’vetaken precautions like wearing a face cover andwashing or sanitizing their hands

If a driver shows up without a mask on, the rider cancancel the trip without penalty, and report the issue tous via the app. Uber’s two-way feedback system hashelped ensure both riders and drivers uphold certainstandards by requiring feedback on issues like vehiclequality, navigation and speeding

Each driver partner is provided with masks, sanitiserand disinfectant liquid and trained to use theseeffectively for self and vehicle hygiene

Our new technology will verify if the driver is wearing amask by asking them to take a selfie. After we verifythe driver is covering their face, we’ll let the rider knowvia an in-app message. (Unlike the normal system,this technology detects the mask as an object in thephoto and does not process biometric information orcompare mask selfies to driver photos in ourdatabase.)

We are increasingly installing plastic separatorsbetween the driver and riders, to instil a sense ofsafety and social distancing. In fact, we pioneered thisconcept in India earlier in our specialised Uber Medicservice that catered to healthcare workers

The mobility landscape has definitely changed and it is intimes such as these that technology proves its mettle byallowing platforms like Uber go the extra mile and providesolutions that help mitigate critical issues likeovercrowding. Technology also allows us to geofencecertain locations like containment zones, if required. Weare committed to partnering cities as they kickstart theeconomy by providing livelihood opportunities; we arecommitted to moving the world safely.


Rajiv AggarwalHead of Public Policy,

India South Asia, Uber

5. Contactless Ticketing and Digital Payments would be a gamechanger

The Government of India has been promoting the use ofDigital Payment methods over the past few years, the useof which increased drastically over time. Now, with therise of COVID and the hygiene regulations that are to befollowed to minimise the risk of spreading the virus,contactless and cashless options are becoming morepopular and are being widely used. Digital paymentshave already been taken into use in most metropolitancities. For example, the Metro Rails in Delhi and Mumbaiemploy the use of Smart Cards that also doubles up as aticket being paid for through a single tap.

Digital or Cashless payment methods are being usedincreasingly as they are secure, inexpensive, convenient,and efficient for the user. Online payments also aid inensuring that cash flow is transparent and promotesaccountability. During the times of COVID-19, cashlesspayments and contactless ticketing are proving to be asaving grace for many as it removes the chances ofcontact, thus reducing the scope of the virus to spread. Infact, as per the survey conducted, “having to touchthings” features as the second most substantial concernthat people have, whether using App-based cabs,autorickshaws, bus or metro (Refer to the previoussection for details).

However, the lack of awareness regarding digitalpayments and contactless ticketing reduces thelikelihood of passengers going cashless. Many aresceptical due to perceived security fears such as anincreased risk of hacking and thefts of large amounts.However, if guided well in the use of cashless methods,several of these fears may be allayed. There also may bea belief among passengers that online payments makeuse of advanced technology that requires steady internetaccess and may be out of their reach.

On the contrary, there exist multiple options for moneytransfer that are inclusive for all citizens. Users can makepayments through text messages using USSD via theNational Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) orbiometric fingerprint using the BHIM application orthrough their Aadhar Cards via the Aadhaar EnabledPayment System (AEPS). The advantages of onlinepayments and contactless ticketing have not goneunnoticed by passengers. The adoption of contactless ormobile ticketing is among the top three measures thatpassengers feel need to be ensured for safe transport inbuses, metros and trains. People gave the second highestimportance to contactless ticketing and digital paymentsin making public transport safer for passengers post-lockdown.

Contactless ticketing and digital payment is the second most important aspect for passengersfrom a safety perspective

Fig13: Top concerns in using public transport

Key factors when using public transport,post-lockdown

MandatoryTemperature Screening

of Passengers

Contactless /Mobile Ticketing

Daily cleaning &Disinfection of

vehicle

42 31

3.99

Least important

3.90

3.60

Governments and Public Transport Authorities shouldfocus more on contactless ticketing and digitalpayments. There can be incentive provided likediscounts, additional rides etc. for the use ofcontactless ticketing and digital payments. Use ofopen-loop card should be encouraged more and morewhich can be used for travel, and other payments bypassengers and all other use of the passengers. Theefforts for introducing single mobility cards topromote seamless travel between modes, contactlessticketing and digital payments may be revived andfast-tracked.

Our View


Contactless ticketing can ease the pain of public transportauthorities

The Transportation sector faces enormous challenges,exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. Public transport isheavily impacted and continues to feel the effects ofcitizens’ fear of using mass transport solutions.Conversations around transportation systems are nolonger about “why” but “how quickly” can the systemsadapt to provide touchless safe experience tocommuters. The ability of PTA’s to provide a safecommuter experience is going to be the key how citizensperceive usage of public transport in the future and willbe the deciding factor for PTA’s sustainability.While contactless ticketing can be achieved through useof contactless bank cards to tap and ride on publictransport systems, there are many other types ofcontactless ticketing systems available including MobileTicketing and Account-Based Ticketing, using smartcardsand mobile barcodes. The need for contactless ticketingis now, more than anytime else.

As a global transit solution provider, LIT has helped morethan 45 cities worldwide to transform their transitoperations with smart mobility solutions. Cities in Oman,India and Azerbaijan (to name a few) have transformedusing ticketing solutions. What we are seeing is anacceleration of all of these urban mobility-basedcontactless projects, especially because it is now moreimportant than ever to provide a touchless paymentexperience.

The PTA’s need to adapt quickly to be ready for the post-COVID-19 society, and contactless ticketing solutionsmake this adaption more painless. COVID-19 hasaccelerated the implementation and adoption ofcontactless ticketing in public transport around the world,the benefits were already widely acknowledged:

Speed: Significantly reduces transaction timecompared to other payment methods involving chipand pin, cash & change.

Scalability: No legacy constraints and highly scalableand adaptable to future needs.

Experience: Contactless ticketing is unique in the factthat there is no need to purchase a ticket beforetraveling. A simply ‘tap and go’ works seamlesslyproviding a frictionless experience.

Simplicity: Reduces the burden on human resourcesand provides a clear and simple way to use PublicTransport.

Flexibility: Helps rapid implementation of fares andtransfer rules from the back office/core applications.

Security: Secured and encrypted and thus reducesrisk of internal frauds.

Safety: Reduced interaction with drivers, lesser cashhandling reduces risk significantly.

Globally, we are also seeing a big push from many PTA’sfor EMV contactless projects & account-based ticketingsolutions as more they seek to be future ready with newmobility initiatives and mobility as a service. Also, ourexperience shows that when a city successfully launchesa contactless ticketing scheme, the neighbouring citiestend to follow suit. In the Indian context, it may be theright time for transport authorities to focus on and adoptcontactless ticketing in a big way. They can adopt thebest practices of such implementation and operationfrom cities where it is working for a faster adoption curve.

Urša HribernikHead of Mobility,

LIT Transit

Contactless ticketing can help publictransport authorities and transport majors

are adopting it globally


Smart Electronic Payments: A lever for efficient mass transport inIndiaEconomic development centred around the cities isleading to spiralling urban population. Naturally, there isan escalated need for evolved mass transit systemswhich can accommodate higher volumes of traffic andcongestion. Therefore, as our cities swell and mature,there is an urgent and critical role to be played by thepublic and mass transport systems globally. The car is nolonger the king and planners are now focused on makingmass urban transit seamless, convenient and efficient.

Mass transit and transportation has been facing majorchallenges for humanity:

Ecological - to reduce pollution.

Societal - to cope with growing urbanization.

Economic - to adapt business model to travellers’needs and expectations.

Technology is playing a critical role in addressing this,accelerated by the rise of smart cities and supported byintelligent solutions. Integrated transport systems havenow become a core element of Smart City planning, andauthorities worldwide are upgrading their infrastructureto accept a full suite of payment methods to reducefriction for users. Smart cities deploy information andcommunication technologies (ICT) in order to achievesustainable growth and economic development whileenhancing the quality of life of local communities.

This presents the unique opportunity for improving theefficiency and effectiveness of mass transportation inIndia. While e-payment solutions already have anestablished presence, one needs to identify specificsolutions addressing the transport segment.

Ingenico Group has designed and developed a range ofsolutions in this space. One of the efficient solutions hasbeen the queue-busting ticket vending machine (TVM).These self-service machines provided a PIN pad andmulti modes of card acceptance bundled in a device toallow travellers to buy their paper-based tickets from themachines which have been installed at various metrostations and buses. A range of Self Service terminals withcomplete touch experience are now introduced in thissegment that enable swift processing of QR andcontactless transactions offering a great consumerjourney.

Another rapid movement in the mobility space has beenwith the use of Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETM) asPoint-of-Sale (POS) terminals for control and payment offares and fines, in India, both on Android and traditionalplatforms.

The latest offer enabling e-payments is with the adventof open payment solutions combining the traditionalpayment terminals and Gate Validators with dedicatedpayment gateway to manage the transaction betweenthe ticketing platform and the bank. With open payment,transport providers and especially mass transit operatorscontribute to the development of new urban solutionsthat are 3 times less expensive than paper ticketing.

Open payment technology is changing the way we travelby swapping paper-based tickets for secure contactlessreaders accepting both closed- and open-loop cards. Noprior registration is required. Travellers just tap thevalidator to enter and exit, then the system automaticallycalculates the best-value ticket for them at the end oftheir journey, whether it be a single trip, day pass ormulti-day card. Ingenico’s OP2GO also integrates with allticketing platforms that offer Traveller portal and RTAportal to add great deal of convenience to the operatorsalong with the users.

Open payment solutions have been implemented andproven effective for metro systems and bus networks incities such as Kiev, Bratislava and Milan in 2019 byIngenico, followed by implementations in United States,Canada, Brazil, France, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Italy,Poland, Vietnam, Taiwan and Australia.

Smart cities in India such planned, would encouragecitizens to use public transport over using motoredvehicles. This will support decongestion of traffic, easiertraffic management and lower toxic emissions andbuilding a sustainable urban future. Smart electronicpayment solutions provide the Future proof technologythat helps bridging the gap and would facilitate the freeflow in the economy between the users and thefacilitators.

Sudarshana MitraHead – Products and SolutionsIngenico International India Pvt Ltd


Lessons from Netherlands: Technology adoption can help to wadethe crisis

The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated the much-needed shift towards digital payments in thetransportation sector. While use of digital payments intransport is ubiquitous in countries like Netherlands,however, this is a scope for India to fast track it.

In Netherlands, probably more than 99% of the peopleuse a chip-based card for their travel. It is an All-in-onetravel card that can be used in buses, trains, trams andeven in some ferries. It is a prepaid card and it simplifiesthe whole travel. The person using it just has to load thecard before travel. There are consoles available at trainstations/buses/malls where one can load the card.Similarly, there are certain deals available that one cansubscribe to at an additional cost. For example, one canget a discounted fare if the travel is during off peak hoursin train, or get free travel during the weekends etc. Theimportant aspect to note that digital payments havemade this hassle free travel possible in Netherlands.

Adoption of digital payments in India would be extremelycrucial and the success of it would depend upon -

Infrastructure: In Netherlands, the infrastructureneeded to accept cards and contactless ticketinghave been built efficiently. There are access controlsat the train stations. Using the card, one can open thegate/turnstile. One swipes in while entering thestation/bus/tram at Point A and swipe out uponreaching the destination (Point B). The systemcalculates the fare and it is automatically debitedfrom the card. Similar infrastructure needs to be builtin India (and across multi modes) to enablepassengers to get the real benefit of contactlessticketing and digital payment.

Exception handling: While contactless ticketing anduse of digital payment is the most commonly usedmethod in Netherlands, but it is still possible topurchase a paper ticket instead of a card, though veryfew people (typically foreigners) who are new to thecountry use it. The bar code printed on the paperticket is used to open the gate. Theses tickets can bebought from the consoles 24X7. Thus while contactlessticketing needs to be adopted, however a provision forexception handling and paper tickets may be kept aswell.

Reliability: The backend IT systems supporting thesewould have to be extremely robust with high levels ofreliability and almost zero (0) downtime. This wouldenable passengers to gain confidence in the systemand make it ubiquitous for effective usage.

Apart from adoption of contactless ticketing and digitalpayments, passengers need to adhere to safetymeasures like use of masks when they use publictransport after the lockdown. While the number of peopletraveling by public transport has reduced, people stillneed to adhere to the social distancing measures andother rules and norms that have been laid out by thegovernment for their safety.

Swami KrishnamoorthyCommercial Director

MSTS, Netherlands

An All-in-one travel card that can be usedin buses, trains, trams and even in some

ferries. It is a prepaid card and it simplifiesthe whole travel.

Stickers in the Netherlands railwaystation instructing travelers to keep theirdistance and to keep right when walking


Have you been using the Aarogya Setuapp?

6. Aarogya Setu gets a thumbs up from citizens

The Aarogya Setu application has been developed by theGovernment of India to connect essential health serviceswith the people of India in the fight against COVID-19. TheApp is aimed at augmenting the initiatives of theGovernment of India, particularly the Department ofHealth, in proactively reaching out to and informing theusers of the app regarding risks, best practices andrelevant advisories pertaining to the containment ofCOVID-19.

One of the key purpose of the application is to raise analert when someone you have crossed paths with withinthe last 30 days is impacted by the virus. It is amultilingual platform that only requires the download of asingle application and provides important health andsafety related information as well as advice if a person isat risk of having been infected. The application utilisesthe Bluetooth and Location settings to collect informationfrom an individual’s mobile device.

The App has recorded more than 15 Crore downloads ason date and has more installations than any other similarapp in any country[2]. The Government has also takenmany proactive steps to allay fears regarding privacy bymaking the source code available, announcing rewardsfor finding bugs and vulnerabilities etc.

According to the survey conducted, around 73% ofrespondents or almost 3 out of 4 people have installedand begun using the Aarogya Setu Application.

From these, approximately 61% of users found theapplication useful, while roughly 28% of users were unsureabout the usefulness of the application and only a smallminority of 11% users did not find the application useful.

Nearly 3 out of 4 people surveyed are using it and only 11% don’t find it useful

Fig14: Usage of the Aarogya Setu App

No27,3%

Yes72.7%

Aarogya Setu app has been a useful tool for the country in the fight against thepandemic. It can be extremely useful in contact tracing and help Governmentsquickly trace people who have come in contact with a COVID-19 positivepatient, and thus potentially save lives. The concerns regarding privacy andsecurity have been addressed to a great extent by making the source code ofthe application public, and the endeavour towards the same should continue(e.g. making the server-side code public etc.).

Our View

[2] Newsroom Post

Do you find the Aarogya Setu appuseful?

Fig15: Usefulness of the Aarogya Setu Application

Neutral27.5%

Useful61.0%

Not Useful11.5%


Public transport is the backbone of many cities, allowingmillions of people to get to work. The COVID-19 crisis hasseverely impacted public transport agencies all over theworld in their ability to provide this service. Agencies areresponding in various ways to cope with the crisis, andenable people to get back to work.

Public transport was identified as a danger zone as under“normal” (over-)crowded conditions, either on the railplatforms or in the trains and buses, social distancingwas nearly impossible to maintain.

At the same time, people just stayed home to work, orstayed home due to a lock-down or quarantineregulation; public transport ridership just disappeared,with ridership drops between 70% to 90%, creating a hugefinancial impact as revenue from tickets dropped.

Now, as ridership picks up again, it does so under newconditions. In most countries there are a number of keypillars to the COVID-19 responses that have since thenbeen implemented to enable the ridership to come back,slowly.

Face Masks. Most commonly, face masks are required tobe worn inside trains and busses. Most commonface masks do not protect the wearer very much, but doinhibit the wearer’s own droplets and breath fromspreading. Hence, the measure works only if allpassengers and staff wear the masks; it is the mostpowerful symbol of solidarity amongst the users of thepublic transport system, and a basis for mutualprotection.

Choreography with Posters and Stickers. Travelers areactively being “choreographed” in their behavior withposters and stickers, instructing them to keep theirdistance and to guide them to keep right, so as to not mixup the flows of passengers.

Making Public Transport Safe and Responsive to COVID – 19: AGlobal Perspective

Blocking Seats. In many countries, operators are blockingoff seats to create the desired space betweenpassengers, and expressly indicate where passengersare supposed to stand inside the carriage. The clearimpact is however that the capacity is thus severelyreduced.

Sanitation. Disinfection of trains and busses has becomea new standard in many countries, with active supportfrom the various international public transportassociations such as UITP and APTA to provide technicalinformation.

Demand management. While operators obviously wouldlike to have their passengers back, operators are alsoasking universities, schools and employers to assist themby spreading out the working hours so not everybodycomes into the bus or train at the same time anymore aspeople emerge from lock down. In some cases, non-critical travel was initially forbidden.

Financing. The drop in ridership is both a blessing and aliability: with fewer passengers, social distancing may bebetter maintained, but it will also negatively impact thefinances of the operators into the future. While operatorsare now able to block seats in between passengers tocreate the required spacing, that will also cut into thecapacity of the system and limit its earning power oncethe ridership picks up again.

The services of bus and rail operators were cut backdramatically, such as to weekend service levels, when theridership dropped, and were slowly restarted as financialsupport became available and as the Lock Down easedup. In Germany services were back to normal in May, andin The Netherlands, services went back to normal in June.

Public Transit Ridership Trends – Franceand Germany, Indexed

Fig14: Ridership TrendsSource: Apple Maps mobility trends report, Analysis THPG

Disinfection process in the USA


These services were slowly reinstated with the support ofthe governments at various levels. The NetherlandsGovernment provided temporary “availability payments”covering 95% of costs to re-open the services, a provisionwhich will expire by the end of the year.The FederalGovernment of Germany contributed Euro 2.5 bn. to theGerman public transport, citing that the balance had tocome from the regional governments.

Public transport will need structurally reliable financingfor their operations if they are to be able to continueservices with reduced ridership into the future. Newfinancing should be based on ‘availability payments’,ensuring services will continue at service levels to bedetermined by the government, even in the face ofreduced ridership (e.g. “Between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm,make 4 trips per hour at 15 minute intervals betweensuburb A and the city center B”).

This will need to be the new normal structurally, as wealso cannot anymore afford to see such overcrowdedbusses and trains as we have seen before COVID-19struck. In this respect the governments need to step in toensure sufficient capacity is provided with normal,acceptable levels of congestion, and take over financialresponsibility to deliver these service levels; in return theykeep all the revenues, and it will become truly a publicservice, even when actually operated by privatecompanies.

Innovation. A famous Dutch soccer player Johan Cruyffsaid: “Every disadvantage has its advantage”. So too, theCOVID crisis may be a strong catalyst for innovation.While there is a fear that passengers will revert back tocar driving to avoid public transport contagion risk, theanswer to that aspect may come in the form of smallscale autonomous, on demand vehicles, where the risksare much reduced and transport is still collective, withmore than one passenger per vehicle.

Further critical innovations in the area of cashlessticketing will need to be accelerated, to enable securecollection of funds, and to reduce contagion throughphysical contact with the cash.

Strategic System Approach. Perhaps most impact willcome from a structural re-think of urban life, where thevarious crisis-related measures may become moreintegrated, and take on a more permanent character inour social landscape.

Long term view of working habits, promoting workingfrom home and facilitating this with company andgovernment support to enhance, as needed, internetaccess and service

Long term view of the overall public transport system,integrating MaaS, with rented bikes, autonomous ondemand vehicles, integrated bus and rail systemswith sufficient capacity to allow for normal distancingeven at the peaks

Structural review of public transport characteristics,maintaining the sanitation protocols as a newstandard, maintaining a level of social distancingthrough better “choreography” of the passenger flowsat stations

Financial and technical innovation, restructuring thegovernance to enable specified service levels asdictated by these “new normal” requirements to befinanced by the government while mobilizing privatesector capital and innovation.

ReinWestraCEOThe Hague Policy Group

Autonomous vehicles are being used to transport medicalsupplies and COVID-19 tests at Mayo Clinic in Florida



ASSOCHAM initiated its endeavour of value creation for Indian industry in 1920. Having in its fold more than 250 Chambersand Trade Associations, and serving more than 4,50,000 members from all over India. It has witnessed upswings as wellas upheavals of Indian Economy, and contributed significantly by playing a catalytic role in shaping up the Trade,Commerce and Industrial environment of the country.

Our legacy has helped build a strong foundation for future endeavors wherein we serve as the Knowledge Chamber forthe industry and become the conduit between them and the Government to foster development of a New India. Seen as aproactive and forward looking institution, ASSOCHAM is fully equipped to meet the aspirations of Corporate India in thenew world of business.

ASSOCHAM has emerged as the fountainhead of Knowledge for Indian industry, which is all set to redefine the dynamicsof growth and development in the technology driven cyber age of ‘Knowledge Based Economy’. We aim to empowerIndian enterprise by inculcating knowledge that will be the catalyst of growth in the technology-driven global market andhelps them upscale, align and emerge as formidable player in respective business segments.

Aligned with the vision of creating a New India, ASSOCHAM works as a conduit between the industry and the Government.ASSOCHAM is seen as a forceful, proactive, forward looking institution equipping itself to meet the aspirations of corporateIndia in the new world of business. ASSOCHAM is working towards creating a conducive environment of India business tocompete globally.

As a representative of Corporate India, ASSOCHAM articulates the genuine, legitimate needs and interests of its members.Its mission is to impact the policy and legislative environment so as to foster balanced economic, industrial and socialdevelopment.ASSOCHAM derives its strength from its Promoter Chambers and other Industry/Regional Chambers/Associations spreadall over the country.

About ASSOCHAM

Primus Partners has been set up to partner with clients in ‘navigating’ India, by experts with decades of experience indoing so for large global firms. Set up on the principle of ‘Idea Realization’, it brings to bear ‘experience in action’.‘Idea Realization’— a unique approach to examine futuristic ideas required for the growth of an organization or a sector orgeography, from the perspective of assured on ground implementability.

India is and will continue to be a complex opportunity. Private and Public sector need trusted advisory partners in order totap into this opportunity. Primus Partners is your go-to trusted Advisory for both public and private sector organizationsinvolved intricately with nation building, and the creation and growth of robust corporations as engines of progress.

Our core strength comes from our founding partners, who are goal-oriented, with extensive hands-on experience andsubject-matter expertise, which is well recognized in the industry. Our core founders form a diverse cohort of leaders fromboth genders with experience across industries (Public Sector, Healthcare, Transport, Education, etc), and with variedspecialization (engineers, lawyers, tax professionals, management, etc).

Primus Partners brings experience of working in more than 30 countries with private and public sector, including workingwith Government of India, building and leading large consulting teams at the leadership level, and creating one of thelargest public sector consulting practice in India. They also represent 200 person years of experience in leading globaland Indian consulting firms and the public sector.

The founding team is supported by a distinguished advisory board that includes experts with leadership experienceacross government, large corporate and notable civil society organisations.

About Primus Partners


D S Rajora

Assistant SecretaryGeneral, ASSOCHAM

Pooja Ahluwalia

Vice President, Head ofResearch, Primus Partners

Kaushal Lal GuptaAnkit KrishnaAnkit NebhnaniJuhi TalwarAnuja LeleAmeya GadreYash SaksenaKaran Chafekar

Acknowledgements

DISCLAIMER

The report is prepared using information of a general nature and is not intended to address

the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. The report has been prepared from

various public sources and the information received from these sources is believed to be

reliable. The information available in the report is selective and subject to updation, revision

and amendment. While the information provided herein is believed to be accurate and

reliable, ASSOCHAM and Primus Partners Pvt. Ltd. do not make any representations or

warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and

data available in the public domain.

While due care has been taken while preparing the report, ASSOCHAM and Primus Partners

Pvt. Ltd. do not accept any liability whatsoever, for any direct of consequential loss arising

from this document or its contents.

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