Affordable to ride, hard to walk: Why Mumbai ranks among least walkable cities in world
There are 1.475 billion vehicles in the world and over 8.1 billion people—meaning only about 182 cars for every 1,000 people. In other words, the vast majority of people on this planet either can't drive or don't own a car.
For those who rely on their feet, bicycles, or public transport to get around, walkability becomes more than just a lifestyle choice —it's a necessity.
A global study conducted by Compare the Market has analysed key factors such as walking trails, rainfall, safety, bike infrastructure, and public transport to determine which cities around the world are easiest to navigate without a car.
Mumbai, however, ranks among the bottom 10 — alongside Johannesburg, Manila, Bangkok, Cape Town, and Chicago.
Interestingly, Mumbai scores extremely well when it comes to affordability, offering one of the cheapest public transport systems in the world at just Rs 20 per ticket—only behind Buenos Aires at Rs 13. Cairo comes third at Rs 28.
Yet Mumbai struggles with walkability due to factors such as poor safety ratings, low access to car-free zones, and very high average monthly rainfall, which deters pedestrian movement, especially during monsoon.
At the other end, Europe has the most number of walkable cities. Munich tops the list, followed by Milan, Warsaw, Helsinki, and Paris. Tokyo is the only non-European city in the top 10.
The study found that 86 per cent of Munich's population lives within 1 km of a car-free space. A further 85 per cent of residents live within 1 km of healthcare and education facilities, and the city boasts hundreds of miles of bike trails.
Stephen Zeller, General Manager of Money at Compare the Market, explains why walkability should matter to prospective homeowners:
'Looking at transport and amenities is a crucial step of assessing a potential home,' Zeller explains.
'That means looking at the public transport links, and seeing how far away your nearest stop is, what time they run to, and frequency; as well as identifying routes that you feel safe walking,' he adds.
Zeller also points out that more desirable areas will generally cost more, 'which means you might need a bigger home loan than you were originally budgeting for'. 'Australian citizens and permanent residents looking to buy in Australia can use Compare the Market's home loan comparison service to get property reports with estimated values for free, as well as make use of our free borrowing power calculator to help with budget planning,' he says.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
20 minutes ago
- India Today
New AC rules set cool limits at 20-28°C. Which other countries set AC limits?
India is set to introduce a landmark regulation mandating that all new air conditioners (ACs) in homes, offices, and vehicles operate within a temperature range of 20C to 28C. This move aims to standardise cooling practices, reduce electricity consumption, and address the surging power demand during increasingly severe decision to regulate AC temperature settings is part of a growing global trend toward energy efficiency and climate countries like Italy, Spain, and Greece have imposed strict limits on public spaces, India's nationwide, cross-sector mandate is unique in its scope and ambition. The regulation is expected to yield substantial energy savings, reduce emissions, and help stabilise the country's power grid as it faces ever-hotter IS THE NEW RULE?All new ACs sold in India must have a minimum temperature setting of 20C and a maximum of rule will apply across sectors: residential, commercial (including malls, hotels, offices, and theaters), and even air-conditioned government expects this measure to save consumers up to Rs 18,000–20,000 crore in three years and significantly reduce power consumption and carbon IS INDIA DOING THIS?The regulation is a response to:Record-breaking peak power demand (recently reaching 241 GW).The rapid increase in AC usage due to urbanisation and rising need to reduce strain on the power grid, lower electricity bills, and cut carbon OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE SIMILAR RULES?India's policy is among the strictest globally, but several countries have implemented comparable measures, mostly targeting public buildings and in response to energy crises:Italy: Operation Thermostat mandates a minimum AC setting of 27C (with a 2C tolerance, so as low as 25C) in public buildings, with fines for AC in public spaces must be set at or above 27C; for households, it is a recommendation, not a legal Similar to Spain and Italy, Greece requires public buildings to set AC no lower than 27C as part of a national energy-saving The government recommends a default AC setting of 28C in offices and public buildings, but this is not legally enforced. Rather, it is promoted through campaigns like 'Cool Biz'.USA (California): Some guidelines exist for energy conservation, but there is no statewide legal minimum AC temperature for homes or DOES INDIA'S RULE COMPARE?Scope: India's regulation is broader, covering not just public buildings but also private homes and vehicles, and is legally binding for new AC setting: At 20C, India's minimum is lower than the European mandates (which are generally 25–27C), but the move is significant given the country's climate and energy Unlike Japan and parts of the US, where temperature settings are recommendations, India's rule will be mandatory for all new ACs sold, with manufacturers required to comply.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Over 29,000 complaints filed by homebuyers against 5,500 real estate projects in Maharashtra: MahaRERA data
Homebuyers have filed 29,374 complaints against 5,508 real estate projects in Maharashtra with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA), according to data accessed by from the MahaRERA. The data shows that a majority of these complaints are linked to projects that were already underway before the implementation of RERA in the state in May 2017. Of the 5,508 projects with complaints, 3,473 were ongoing prior to MahaRERA's launch, while 2,035 were registered after the regulatory framework came into effect. Since its inception, MahaRERA has registered 50,131 real estate projects across Maharashtra. Of these, 17,280 projects have been marked as completed, and developers have submitted the required documentation to verify their completion. However, over 13,300 projects have been declared lapsed by MahaRERA, according to the latest data. Also Read: MahaRERA's new project certificate gives homebuyers complete info upfront - from floor count to parking Of the total 29,374 complaints filed by homebuyers in Maharashtra, 23,908 were related to projects launched before the implementation of RERA, while 5,466 complaints were against post-RERA projects, according to data from MahaRERA. The data showed that the authority has disposed of 21,888 complaints out of 29,374 filed, reflecting a resolution rate of approximately 74%. According to MahaRERA officials, many homebuyers and developers have opted for the conciliation route to resolve disputes amicably. As per the data, a total of 6,474 complaints have been referred for conciliation so far. "Conciliation has been successful in 2,006 cases, which is around a 30% success rate. We are taking several steps to ensure complaints by homebuyers are resolved by our intervention. As many as 81% of the complaints filed against projects ongoing since pre-RERA inception have been disposed of, and 46% of the complaints filed against projects ongoing post-RERA inception," Manoj Saunik, chairman of MahaRERA, told "We are also conducting physical hearings of complaints whenever requested. However, the majority of the homebuyers prefer online hearing of complaints, considering the ease and comfort of the same. I have heard complaints from several Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who have praised the option of online hearing. But, nonetheless, we are open for physical hearing too," Saunik said. Also Read: Here's why Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have re-registered a rental agreement for a luxury flat in Mumbai Data shows that MahaRERA is the only real estate regulatory body in India that has registered over 50,000 real estate projects. Of these, around 50% are registered in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune alone. Tamil Nadu stands second with 27,609 and Gujarat, third, with 15,322 residential projects. The regulator said that almost one-third (around 35%) of the country's housing projects are registered in Maharashtra. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs data shared by MahaRERA, all the RERA bodies in the nation have approved 1,44,617 housing projects. Also Read: MahaRERA update: Maharashtra regulator surpasses 50,000 project registrations in 8 years MahaRERA was established in May 2017 under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, with the aim of bringing transparency and accountability to the real estate sector, including developers and agents. According to the latest data, over 50,000 real estate projects are currently registered with MahaRERA. Pune district has the highest number of projects, 12,788, followed by Thane, 6,746, Mumbai suburbs, 5,907, and Raigad, 5,360.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Paramount to lay off 3.5% of US staff in latest job cut, memo shows
HighlightsParamount Global is laying off 3.5% of its U.S. staff as part of a response to declining cable television subscribers. This layoff comes in addition to a previously announced 15% reduction in staff made by Paramount Global in August. The company is also facing challenges related to a $10 billion lawsuit filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump against CBS News, which could impact its merger deal with Skydance Media. Paramount Global is laying off 3.5% of its U.S. staff in the latest round of job cuts as the company grapples with a decline in cable TV subscribers, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. The layoff was communicated to its staff on Tuesday morning and it could affect some non-U.S. workforce over time, the memo from the office of the company's three co-CEOs showed. This is in addition to the 15% cuts Paramount had announced last August and comes as the media industry navigates a "generational disruption" as millions of cable users cut the cord and opt for streaming services such as Netflix. "We are taking the hard, but necessary steps to further streamline our organization starting this week," Paramount Co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins wrote in the memo. Paramount had 18,600 employees as of Dec. 31, 2024. CNBC first reported the development on Tuesday. The company has pitched its $8.4 billion merger with billionaire scion David Ellison's Skydance Media. But the deal is yet to secure regulatory approval, pending a $10 billion lawsuit U.S. President Donald Trump filed against CBS News in October over an interview with then-vice president Kamala Harris that he alleged was deceptively edited to favor Harris.
