THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, OCTOBER 24, 2026

Strategic public communication and targeted behaviour-change initiatives are crucial to accelerating the shift towards sustainable mass transit, Press Information Bureau (PIB) Additional Director General Akhil Mishra said while chairing a roundtable on “Behaviour Change and Public Communication” at the 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference 2026 here on Saturday.

Mishra emphasised that effective communication must go beyond the dissemination of information to actively influence public attitudes and encourage greater adoption of sustainable transport systems. He called for inclusive, citizen-centric communication strategies to bridge the gap between urban mobility services and the people they are intended to serve.

Highlighting a persistent administrative challenge, Mishra drew attention to the prevalence of “information shadows” in modern cities, where large sections of the population remain deprived of timely and accessible transit information despite the growing use of sophisticated digital platforms.

He noted that residents of informal settlements, slums and underdeveloped peripheral areas are particularly vulnerable to such information gaps, which can limit their access to public transport services and undermine efforts to promote sustainable urban mobility.

Mishra urged urban local bodies and transport authorities to adopt tailored, hyperlocal and inclusive outreach strategies to ensure that mobility-related information reaches every section of society. He stressed the need to move beyond technology-driven communication models and develop approaches that address the diverse needs and circumstances of urban commuters.

The roundtable brought together sector leaders, transportation experts, policymakers and administrators to deliberate on the role of public communication in shaping travel behaviour and promoting sustainable mobility practices.

The session was moderated by Kashmira Dubash, Deputy Director at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). The panel comprised Dr V.P. Jeyaseelan, Sivasubramaniam Jayaraman, Cornelia Stolzenberg, Head of Project, EASE, GIZ; Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC); Harpreet Bagga, Co-CEO, Purpose; Abhijit Lokre, Kumar Manish and Asish Kumar Patra.

The discussions underscored the importance of coordinated communication efforts, community-level engagement and accessible information systems in building public trust and encouraging a behavioural shift towards mass transit. The deliberations also highlighted the need to make sustainable mobility communication more inclusive so that the benefits of improved urban transport systems reach all sections of the population.