MG Motor India's Urban Mobility Happiness Survey Reveals Insights into Indian Commuting Experience

MG Motor India, in collaboration with Nielsen, conducted the Urban Mobility Happiness Survey to gain insights into the mobility patterns and commuting challenges of individuals living in major Indian cities.

The survey reflects the priorities of car owners in terms of convenience, safety, and driving experience as they navigate these challenges. Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer of MG Motor India, noted this aspect of the survey.

According to the Urban Mobility Happiness Survey, only 26% of those surveyed found it easy to locate parking, while 74% struggled with the availability and management of parking spaces in their cities.

As a result, approximately 64% of individuals either chose not to use their cars due to the lack of parking or had to modify their plans based on parking availability.

The survey results showed that 71% of respondents drove alone or with only one other passenger. A mere 1% of those surveyed always travelled with more than one passenger. It is worth noting that 73% of respondents used their cars daily or occasionally to commute to work or college.

In addition, urban car owners frequently used their vehicles for tasks such as household errands, shopping, social outings, and weekend trips. The survey also revealed that 38% of participants used their cars for emergencies.

Nielsen conducted the survey in eight major Indian cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The participants of the survey were car owners aged between 18 and 37 years. The survey found that more than 80% of respondents experienced anxiety while travelling in their respective cities.

The respondents rated their city's mobility based on specific parameters, and the survey calculated a happiness score for each city. Kolkata, Pune, and Chennai scored well on the index, while respondents from Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi NCR expressed their discontentment regarding the state of mobility in their respective cities.

As per the survey, half of the participants own petrol vehicles, while 35% own diesel vehicles. However, there is a growing inclination among car owners to switch to alternative powertrain technologies.

The study indicates that a significant majority of the respondents, i.e., 77%, use the boot space of their car daily, and out of these, 81% utilize it to carry their laptop bags.

Around 71% of the people surveyed spend over 30 minutes to an hour on their daily commute to work or college. Moreover, 61% of the respondents acknowledged that they face longer travel times than five years ago.

The survey covered eight cities in India, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The respondents were car owners of age group 18-37 years and had at least one vehicle in their household. The findings of the survey reveal that over 80% of the participants experience anxiety during their daily travel in the city.

The survey also evaluated the happiness score for mobility in each city based on ratings provided by the respondents, with Kolkata, Pune, and Chennai receiving higher scores than Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi NCR, which reflected dissatisfaction with the state of mobility in these cities.

Around 52% of the surveyed individuals claimed that they were affected by the increase in fuel prices, with almost half of them reportedly spending over INR 6,000 monthly on fuel.

More than 80% of the respondents expressed their concerns about the air pollution in their respective cities, and an equal proportion agreed that their urban areas were affected by noise pollution. Moreover, 69% of the survey participants mentioned that the environment played a significant role in their car purchase decisions.

According to the survey results, nearly 90% of the respondents believed that a compact smart car could reduce their daily commute time and alleviate several challenges they face while commuting. Interestingly, MG Motor India intends to launch its first compact smart electric vehicle, the Commet EV, soon. The vehicle is expected to be priced between INR 10 lakh to INR 15 lakh