Bengaluru to get third Urban Mobility Lab in country

Urban Mobility Lab, a platform that aims to support Indian cities to identify, develop and implement mobility solutions, will be set up in Bengaluru by Colorado headquartered non-profit organisation Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Micelio, a platform that fosters the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in India, along with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Invest Karnataka Forum and the Department of Industries and Commerce (DIC).

A multi-stakeholder workshop will be held on February 19 and 20 to inaugurate the lab, a joint statement by the DULT, DIC, RMI and Micelio said. The workshop will be organised around six areas: charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, data-based solutions, EV manufacturing, first and last-mile connectivity, public transit and urban final-mile delivery.

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The RMI-led initiative aims to accelerate the city’s transition to shared, clean and citizen-centric mobility by serving as a forum for open discussion and a platform for action through facilitated multi-stakeholder convenings and collaborative work, the statement said. Over 120 participants from the mobility ecosystem will help address system-level barriers and develop implementation plans for mobility solutions, it added.

RMI had earlier partnered with the Delhi government and the Pune Municipal Corporation to co-host the lab in the two cities.

“We are happy to host the Urban Mobility Lab. This initiative can support our current mobility initiatives and increase sustainable mobility options in Bengaluru,” V Ponnuraj, DULT’s commissioner, said.

“Bringing all stakeholders together under one roof encourages integration and can accelerate work on existing and new solutions that support Bengaluru’s mobility goals such as efficient and sustainable transportation,” Akshima Ghate, principal at RMI, said.