The report released by MG Motor India, which Nielsen conducted on the findings of the Urban Mobility Happiness Survey, gathered insights into the mobility patterns of people residing in major Indian cities. Besides, it also identified challenges they face while commuting, which reflects the state of urban mobility in India.
Gaurav Gupta- Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor India, noted that the survey reflects those car owners, along with their vehicles' performance and features, prioritising convenience, safety, and overall driving experience.
The survey noted that merely 26% of survey respondents found it easy to locate parking, while 74% struggled with the availability and management of parking spaces in their cities.
Approximately 64% of individuals reported that they either decided not to use their cars due to the unavailability of parking or had to adjust their plans according to parking availability, it added.
About 71% of respondents to the survey reported taking their car out alone or, at most, with one other passenger. Only a meagre 1% of the respondents reported always travelling with more than one passenger.
Interestingly, 73% of respondents reported using their cars daily or occasionally to travel to work or college. In addition, urban car owners frequently use their cars for household errands, shopping, social outings, and weekend trips. Finally, 38% of survey participants also reported using their cars for emergencies.
The survey was conducted in eight Indian cities - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Respondents to the survey included males and females aged 18 to 37 years, having at least one car in their household.
The survey found that more than 80% of respondents experienced anxiety during their daily travel in the city. The survey also calculated a city-wise happiness score for mobility based on ratings provided by the respondents on selected parameters. While Kolkata, Pune and Chennai scored well on the index, ratings for Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi NCR reflected the respondents’ discontentment pertaining to the state of mobility in their cities.
According to the survey, 50% of respondents own petrol vehicles, while 35% own diesel vehicles. Nonetheless, there is a rising trend among car owners to shift towards alternative powertrain technologies.
The findings of the survey reveal that about 77% of respondents use the luggage space of their car every day. Amongst these, 81% reported using the luggage space for carrying a laptop bag.
About 71% of the survey respondents reported spending more than 30 minutes to an hour for their daily commute to work or college. As many as 61% of respondents admitted experiencing increased travel times compared to their usual travel time from five years ago.
While about 52% of people reported the fuel hikes impacting them, almost 50% of respondents reported spending more than INR 6,000 a month on fuel each month.
More than 80% of the respondents feel that the air in their city is polluted. Likewise, an equal proportion of survey participants affirmed the presence of noise pollution in their urban areas by nodding in agreement. In addition, 69% of respondents reported considering the environment as an important factor while purchasing a car.
The survey found that almost 90% of people felt that a compact smart car can reduce their travel time in the city, solving many of the challenges they face during their commute every day. Interestingly, MG Motor India has announced its plans to launch its first compact smart EV, the Commet EV, soon. The vehicle is likely to be priced between INR 10 lakh to INR 15 lakh.
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