Institute of Urban Transport was set up in 1997 with an initial grant of Rs.22 lakhs with the objectives of promoting and coordinating urban transport in the country. It was registered under the Society’s Registration Act on 7th May, 1997. Its name was subsequently changed in July 2001 as Institute of Urban Transport (India). The membership of the institute comprises of academics, architects, economists, engineers, transport planners, town planners and professionals from various disciplines. At present (as on 29th July, 2010), the institute has 57 institutional members and 1131 individual members

The institute is managing the affairs of National Urban Transport Information Centre of the Ministry of Urban Development, which has been set up to compile data on urban transport in scientifically designed formats and maintain it methodically. A library of books and magazines on urban transport has also been set up in the NUTIC.