The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) took an initiative to check the overall benefits of introducing electric buses as a suitable replacement for the diesel buses to tackle the burgeoning pollution in the city of Bengaluru, India. For a trial run of three months, an electric bus was procured from a Chinese company ‘Build Your Dreams’ (BYD). Data were collected by BMTC on the operation and maintenance of the bus. This new initiative, if rightly guided, could have a direct impact on the lives of those in the city.

The Delhi government's move to allow only alternate use of cars with odd and even registration numbers from 1 January 2016 is a step in the right direction. However, even as such command and control measures will be difficult to sustain, the gains made from these measures will only wane over time. Long-term measures with strong economic incentives to ensure favourable outcomes are imperative for better quality of air and environment. This involves strengthening public transportation systems.