How India Goes to Work

Census data show that contrary to the general big-city impression, more than a third of workers in India already either walk or cycle to work — and cars, the focus of the odd-even initiative, is used by less than 3 per cent.

Who Goes?

The Census data is for ‘Other Workers’, a category identified as separate from Cultivators, Agricultural Workers and Household Workers. ‘Other Workers’ include government servants, municipal employees, teachers, factory workers, plantation workers, those engaged in trade, commerce, business, transport, banking,mining, construction, political or social work, priests, entertainment artists, etc. This category, which lives and works mainly in the towns and cities, has a population of 20.04 crore. The Census data on travel patterns was released recently.

Delhi’s odd-even road rationing experiment brought relief from endemic traffic congestion. However, Census data show that contrary to the general big-city impression, more than a third of workers in India already either walk or cycle to work — and cars, the focus of the odd-even initiative, is used by less than 3 per cent.