India’s urban commute is being reshaped by a factor that mobility systems were never designed for: heat exposure. For decades, city transport was optimised around distance, speed, and capacity. But in a warming environment, a more critical variable is emerging: time spent exposed to heat during transit. And this shift forces us to fundamentally rethink how cities move.India has experienced increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 45–50°C across several regions. Estimates suggest that over 1,000 people die on average each year due to heatwaves, alongside tens of thousands of heatstroke cases annually, including more than 40,000 reported in 2024 alone. Nearly 57% of districts now face high or very high heat risk, while three-fourths of the workforce is exposed to heat stress. The fallout extends beyond health, with extreme heat projected to cut 5.8% of daily working hours in peak conditions by the end of the century.Pair this with rising commute times in Indian cities. According to the TomTom Traffic Index Bengaluru commuters lost 168 hours annually in 2025 due to traffic delays, with average peak-hour speeds dropping to under 15 km/h. Similar patterns are visible across metros like Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai.This shift is amplified by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, a phenomenon where cities warm faster than surrounding rural areas due to dense construction, reduced vegetation, and heat-absorbing materials like asphalt and concrete. For urban commuters braving the Sun, this is not an abstract climate risk, but a daily reality.The burden of this urban warming effect is not evenly distributed. Within the same city, exposure varies sharply depending on how people travel. Those commuting in air-conditioned private vehicles experience congestion as delay. But for millions of two-wheeler riders, delivery workers, and public transport users, it translates into direct environmental exposure.Two-wheelers, which account for a significant share of urban mobility in India, sit at the centre of this imbalance. While they offer flexibility and affordability, they also leave riders fully exposed to rising temperatures, radiating surfaces, and polluted air. For gig workers who often use electric bikes, the challenge is even sharper. Their earnings are tied to time spent on the road, often during peak daytime hours when heat intensity is highest.The increasing presence of larger private vehicles is compounding the problem. Cars occupy more road space, reduce overall traffic efficiency, and contribute to congestion. In dense urban corridors, this not only slows movement but also increases local heat retention, as more vehicles idle in close proximity. The result is a system where those contributing least to congestion and emissions are often the ones bearing the highest physical cost.This is where our collective approach needs to evolve.Heat exposure is a multidimensional risk, and it demands a combination of preventive, adaptive, and systemic interventions that reduce both the intensity and duration of exposure.One of the most immediate steps is to rethink when people travel and work. Reducing outdoor activity during peak heat hours, typically between noon and late afternoon, can significantly lower risk. For gig workers and delivery personnel, this could mean flexible shift windows, penalty-free logouts during extreme heat alerts, and adjusted service expectations that prioritise safety over speed. As temperatures rise, aligning work patterns with climate realities will become increasingly necessary.Equally important is making heat visible in decision-making. Early warning systems, delivered through mobile alerts and platform notifications, can help commuters and workers make informed choices about when and how to travel. Cities like Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar and Thane, as well as large urban centres like Delhi, have demonstrated that heat action plans and coordinated heat preparedness measures, combining early warning systems with clear public guidance, can significantly reduce heat-related health impacts. Integrating such alerts into mobility platforms can turn heat from an invisible risk into a manageable one.Urban design also has a critical role to play. Today’s commute infrastructure often amplifies heat exposure rather than mitigating it. Simple interventions, such as tree-lined streets, shaded corridors, canopies at traffic signals, and covered waiting areas can significantly reduce thermal stress. Even temporary shade structures at high-traffic junctions or last-mile hubs can make a tangible difference for those who spend hours on the road.At a more basic level, access to hydration and rest is essential. Public drinking water stations, shaded rest areas, and cooling centres can help prevent heat-related illnesses, particularly in high-footfall zones. For gig workers, platforms can extend this by enabling access to rest points, integrating hydration stops into routes, and encouraging periodic breaks during long shifts. These are all necessary safeguards for a workforce that operates primarily outdoors.Finally, reducing the time people spend on the road remains a critical lever. Improving traffic efficiency and enabling faster, more predictable short-distance travel can directly lower cumulative exposure. Shared electric mobility systems can play a role here by offering quick, point-to-point connectivity and reducing stop-and-go traffic patterns. But their impact is most meaningful when combined with broader efforts to decongest roads and prioritise efficient modes of transport.India’s commute challenge is no longer defined solely by congestion or infrastructure gaps. It is increasingly shaped by how mobility systems respond to environmental stress, particularly heat. Addressing this will require coordination across urban planning, public health, labour systems, and mobility design. The goal is not just to move people efficiently, but to ensure they can move safely in a warming world. Because in the cities of the future, the true measure of a commute will not just be how fast it is, but how bearable it is.(The views expressed are personal)This article is authored by Gowri Natarajan, Public Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Yulu.