Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Friday raised serious concerns over the growing impact of traffic congestion in India’s major metropolitan cities, calling for the creation of a National Urban Decongestion Mission to address the crisis.
Speaking in the upper house of the Parliament on urban challenges, Chadha said that traffic congestion has effectively turned metro cities into "giant parking lots", where commuters spend a significant portion of their lives stuck on roads rather than reaching their destinations.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, he pointed to major congestion hotspots across cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai. In Delhi, he cited areas like the Ring Road, Ashram Chowk, Dhaula Kuan and the NH-8 Delhi-Gurgaon stretch, while in Kolkata, A.J.C. Bose Road and Chowringhee Road were mentioned as examples of severe traffic bottlenecks.
Similarly, Silk Board Junction and Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru, along with Andheri, Bandra, and Fort areas in Mumbai, were flagged as chronic congestion zones. "When you are stuck in such places, you do not feel like you are on a road; instead, it feels like a long parking lot," Chadha said, adding that commuters are increasingly forced to work from their cars, attending office meetings on virtual platforms due to prolonged traffic jams.
He underlined that traffic congestion is not merely an inconvenience but a significant economic concern. Citing data, Chadha stated that an average commuter in Bengaluru spends about 168 hours annually stuck in traffic, followed by Pune at 152 hours, Mumbai at 126 hours, Kolkata at around 110 hours, Delhi at approximately 104 hours, and Chennai at nearly 100 hours.
"On average, a commuter spends 100 to 168 hours a year stuck in traffic — not commuting, just sitting. Every hour lost is an hour India cannot get back," he said. The AAP leader emphasised that the consequences go beyond time loss, including reduced productivity, fuel wastage, increased air pollution, and deterioration in quality of life due to stress and frustration.
He further warned that the problem is likely to worsen, noting that around 2.5 crore new vehicles were registered in the country last year, with a majority being private vehicles. Calling for urgent intervention, Chadha urged the government to establish a National Urban Decongestion Mission focused on improving public transport systems, implementing smarter traffic management solutions, and introducing a scientific parking policy.
He also advocated for a comprehensive and focused action plan to tackle congestion in major cities, stating that without addressing the issue, India’s economic growth could be hindered. "If our cities remain stuck in traffic jams, our economy cannot move into the fast lane," Chadha said.