Organising and Streamlining the Intermediate Public Transport Sector

Journey and evolution of Ernakulam Jilla Autorickshaw drivers’ co-operative society

Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) plays a vital role in addressing the first and last mile connectivity in
many Indian cities. It serves as feeders to public transport systems andacts as primary or the only mode of mobility in areas not served by or accessible to conventional road- based public transport modes.
One of the major ways to augment public transport systems (buses, metro, ferry) is by integrating
various transport modes (including IPT like autorickshaws) to the system to increase the PT catchment
area by providing affordable first and last mile connectivity. Autorickshaws connect the various ends
of a transit trip and offer a convenient last mile experience. However, this sector is not formalised and
often functions in a disaggregated manner, resulting in mobility gaps. This is because often there is no
regulatory body or committee at the city or district level to manage and organise the operations of IPT
operations. This sector, represented primarily by the driver community, often lacks the technical knowhow and managerial skill sets to organise operations and thus face increased challenges compared to other mobility sectors.

Attempts to formalise the IPT sector have been undertaken in many cities. However, there is little
documentation on the efforts taken in this direction. This document attempts to explain the process
involved in formalising IPT (exclusively for autorickshaws) services and streamlining its operations
based on the case example of Ernakulam District. It is divided into three parts:

• Part A: Formalising the informal: Case of streamlining the autorickshaw sector through formation of a co-operative society in Ernakulam District, Kerala
• Part B: Strengthening the functioning of the co-operative society
• Part C: Ensuring improved efficiency and quality of autorickshaw operations

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