Evaluation of the Decision-Making Process for Urban Public Transport in India:A Delphi Approach

The Government of India has proposed and constructed various mass rapid transit projects, such as metro rail and bus rapid transit system (BRTS) projects, under the purview of the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) and other such schemes. However, with less experience in these newly proposed and constructed systems, the projects are surrounded by controversies and doubts. Many questions have been raised regarding the decision-making process for selecting mass rapid transit systems (MRTS) modes. This study attempts to check these doubts and identify other issues associated with the decision-making process. Thus, the study’s objective is to identify and prioritize the issues associated with the decision-making process of selecting modes of public transport (MRTS) in India. The study uses the Delphi method and represents a successful application of the approach in urban transport planning. The study identifies 12 issues and their priority in the decision-making process of selecting a public transport (MRTS) mode. The study concludes that the prevailing situations in decision- making process in India contradict the guidelines suggested in NUTP.