Impacts of COVID-19 on the Transport Sector and Measures as Well as Recommendations of Policies and Future Research: Report on India (preprint)

This report discusses the implications of various phases of lockdown as well as unlocking phases aimed at the gradual ramp up of the economy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in India. In this regard, the consequences and changes in the travel behavior of commuters by air, rail and various forms of road based transport are discussed. The report also presents an overview of the impact of the pandemic on freight traffic as well as its impact on road safety. To derive the related findings, the relevant studies carried out across India by different organizations (including CSIR - CRRI) during the ongoing pandemic have been briefly discussed and compared with pre-COVID-19 scenario. This is primarily aimed at improving the transport scenario to a sustainable level post COVID which is expected to be reached earliest by the middle of 2021. In this context, a summary of the applicable guidelines issued by Ministry of Home and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) with the specific emphasis on road based transport has been presented in the concluding section by highlighting the immediate, medium as well as long term strategies. These strategies provide insight into the policies that need to be in place for recuperation of the slumped transport sector due to COVID-19 through the implementation of various forms of sustainable solutions presented in the report.