Co-Creation Workshop 2: Advancing Inclusive and Sustainable Mobility in Bengaluru

The second MobiliseHER Co-Creation Workshop brought together city agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), citizen groups, and mobility experts to collaboratively advance gender-responsive and inclusive mobility solutions for Bengaluru.

Learning from Global Experiences

The workshop drew lessons from successful multi-stakeholder collaborations in South Africa and Indonesia, demonstrating how inclusive and participatory approaches can accelerate active and sustainable mobility transitions in cities. Speakers highlighted the importance of:

• Institutional capacity building

• Strong collaboration between civil society and government agencies

• Sustained public awareness campaigns

• Formal recognition and integration of citizen-led recommendations into policy frameworks

While systematic data collection is ongoing to quantify long-term impact, continued government engagement and participation from successive citizen groups were identified as critical to building enduring programs.

Community Leadership in Bengaluru

CSOs and citizen collectives from Bengaluru showcased the breadth of community-driven work on equitable mobility:

• HSR Citizen Forum has leveraged data, public dialogues, and campaigns to identify, prioritise, and address pressing mobility challenges in their neighbourhoods.

• Purpose mobilised women across communities to co-create gender-responsive solutions through art-based engagement and public participation.

• B.PAC (Bangalore Political Action Committee) has been working to induct women as auto-rickshaw drivers by facilitating training, enabling financial access, and securing government support to scale the initiative.

These efforts underscore the power of sustained collaboration between citizens and public transport agencies.

Thematic Focus Areas

Building on insights from earlier community ideation roundtables conducted across the city, participants worked across four key mobility themes:

1. Accessible bus services

2. First- and last-mile connectivity

3. Untapped potential of non-motorised transport (NMT)

4. Safety, security, and comfort in travel

Across these themes, participants identified a diverse set of practical and policy-level solutions.

Key Solutions Identified

Some of the cross-cutting solutions included:

• Multi-modal integration across transport systems

• Reliable, real-time data on bus services and disruptions

• Information dissemination in accessible formats

• Gender sensitisation within transport systems

• Improved walking and cycling infrastructure

• Technology-enabled information sharing and citizen feedback mechanisms

The discussions emphasised the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, including data sharing, infrastructure audits, systematic citizen feedback, and the integration of a gender lens into both long-term mobility policies and daily operations.

Strengthening Government–Civil Society Collaboration

Periodic consultations between government agencies and civil society were recognised as essential to:

• Raise awareness about ongoing government initiatives

• Channel commuter feedback effectively

• Provide expert inputs to make solutions accessible and inclusive

City agencies shared updates on ongoing and upcoming initiatives — including mobile applications, pilot projects, and structured citizen engagement processes — aimed at addressing multiple civic challenges affecting mobility.

CSOs reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening civic participation, fostering public awareness, and supporting evidence-based mobility planning. The importance of collecting, organising, and sharing reliable data to drive informed decision-making and commuter awareness was repeatedly emphasised.

The workshop concluded with a felicitation of civil society partners and community representatives in recognition of their sustained efforts in advancing equitable and gender-responsive mobility across Bengaluru. This moment acknowledged the critical role of grassroots leadership and collaborative action in shaping inclusive urban transport systems.