Why do Indians fall in line in Metro and become unruly in other transport systems? The Economic Survey offers five answers

These are the Survey’s observations:

First, the system should be clearly designed to reduce ambiguity about what constitutes the “right behaviour”. The transport system should have proper entry and exit lines, barriers, turnstiles, marked queues, platform doors or painted bays. “When the environment signals order, people usually follow it; when space is ambiguous, they improvise, and improvisation in crowded settings often looks like chaos,” the Survey says.

Second, commuters expect some kind of enforcement of rules, even if it is light-touch. “In the Metro, the presence of staff, fines and surveillance creates a background ‘shadow of authority’. But crucially, enforcement is consistent and impersonal, unlike in many other public settings, where it is uneven or negotiable. Where rules feel fair and predictable, compliance becomes easier to internalise,” it says.

Third, the reliability of the service. The Survey says that if trains arrive at a regular intervals and everyone knows that waiting time is a minute or two, there will be little pushing, grabbing or jumping the line. But if passengers face continuous delays, irregular services and unpredictable traffic, they become opportunistic as they lose trust in the system to treat patience fairly.

Fourth, people learn from other people in a stable system and even fellow passengers object to unruly behavior. “Once people see that others queue, give space, or avoid blocking doors, conformity starts to move toward order rather than disorder. The Metro’s ‘inside behaviour’ becomes a social script; deviation attracts disapproval not only from authorities but from fellow passengers,” it says.

Fifth and last, the Economic Survey calls for creating a dignified public space for people. It says that when such spaces are in dilapidated condition, poorly maintained or captured by vested interests, people do not feel any obligation to care for them. Thus, neglect breeds neglect. “The Metro has come to symbolise modernity, efficiency, and civic pride; users perceive it as a valued asset rather than a neglected public utility,” it says.

The Survey notes that these spaces are not simply “middle-class islands”. When important elements of a system are absent, people start behaving in a disordered manner, which gets termed as “cultural deficiency”, it said.