Cheap fares, lost hours: What Mumbai’s commute really costs the poor

Mumbai’s residents in slum settlements face hidden travel costs that public transport fares don't reveal. A study from IIT Bombay states that these slum dwellers bear 46% higher overall travel costs compared to those living in better-connected areas. The primary cause is not fare or auto-rickshaw charges but the time spent walking, waiting, and traveling itself.

Professor K T Sarath, who led the research, used Generalised Travel Cost (GTC) to measure the total cost, which combines monetary expenses with the time and discomfort experienced during the journey. Sarath noted that long lines of people waiting for buses in the early hours inspired the study. The research found that 64% of Mumbai’s slum population lived in transit deserts, where public transport services fail to meet demand.

In contrast, only 47% of the non-slum population faced similar issues. Residents in these areas had to walk longer distances to bus stops, wait for buses, and endure crowded, uncomfortable journeys. While the cost of fares for these residents is relatively low—most spent less than 10% of their monthly income on travel—the hidden costs of time and discomfort are significant.

The research also found that better-off residents in the same areas could afford to travel longer distances using options like rickshaws, metro, or app-based cabs, while poorer residents had limited choices—bus, walk, or train. This disparity in mobility options is termed capability deprivation, as poorer residents cannot access the same range of job opportunities as wealthier commuters, even when the cost per kilometer is similar.

The study suggests that improving bus services in poorly connected areas could significantly enhance mobility for slum dwellers.