New Delhi: Urban mobility planning in tier 2 and 3 cities must begin today, so that when these cities evolve into tier 1 urban centres, they are already well-planned and future-ready, Union Minister Manohar Lal said on Sunday. 

The minister also underscored the need to expand the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) beyond Delhi–NCR to other major metropolitan regions such as Chennai, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, to further strengthen regional connectivity and reduce travel time between urban clusters.

He was speaking at the three-day Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition 2025 in Gurugram.

The event marked the release of various publications. During the valedictory event, the logo of PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme and its website was also launched Manohar Lal, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Addressing the valedictory session, Manohar Lal summarised the key discussions held during the three-day conference and highlighted major outcomes and future directions.

He suggested that Metro authorities may explore the introduction of premium or luxury compartments for high-income group passengers to encourage them to adopt public transport, thereby making public transit more inclusive, aspirational, and financially sustainable.

He also announced that the 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition 2026 will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from October 23-25, 2026.

The three-day conference concluded with distribution of awards in different categories of Urban Transport.

While Chennai City won the Best Public Transport System, Udaipur City grabbed the Best Non-Motorized Transport System and Aizwal received Special Award for Mizoram’s Traffic Management System.

The conference was attended by reputed national and international dignitaries. There were more than 170 speakers and participation of more than 1,600 delegates from eight countries. In exhibitions area, 25 exhibitors participated.

(IANS)