India, Oct. 8 -- Walking and bicycling must be at the heart of India's transport, climate and public health policies, experts said at the Urban Adda - sustainable urban planning summit - at India Habitat Centre on Wednesday, warning that cities cannot build sustainable public transport systems without safe pedestrian infrastructure.

Experts also called for a fundamental shift from vehicle-centric urban planning towards streets designed around people. "Every public transit trip begins and ends on foot," said Polash Das, programme management officer at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), calling for explicit walking and bicycling infrastructure to be included alongside electric vehicle (EV) targets, as active mobility should receive great...