There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to urban mobility, as cities around the world vary widely. What works in Phoenix won’t necessarily be a good fit for Paris or Bangalore. What is universal is the need to address urban congestion, vehicle emissions, and equitable access to transportation.
Developing markets
While vehicles in developed markets like Europe and North America have grown steadily cleaner over the past couple of decades, the same progress has not trickled down to the emerging markets. Half of the world’s most polluted cities are in India. The fleets in such markets are generally older and more polluting. Even the two-wheeler segments—huge in many Asian cities—are big polluters, as the models tend to have fewer gears and cylinders. The International Council on Clean Transportation has noted: “The rapid growth of two- and three-wheelers, especially cheap and easy to maintain two-stroke models, has contributed to severe deterioration of the urban environment. Motorcycle populations in Asian cities, and increasingly in cities in Africa and Latin America, are significant and growing.”
