Improving Sustainable Urban Mobility Through Bus Service Optimization: A Case Study of Vadodara
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64882/ijrt.v14.i3.1645Keywords:
bus service optimization, intermediate public transport, last-mile connectivity, sustainable urban mobility, transport planning, VadodaraAbstract
This paper investigates how bus service optimization to improve sustainable urban mobility in Vadodara, a medium-sized Indian city, which is experiencing rapid motorization. The study combines primary survey data (n = 336) and secondary household-level data (approx. 7,000 records), which is analyzed using spatial and network performance analyses to assess accessibility, operational efficiency and service quality of the current bus network. The results show that peripheral service coverage and significant deficiencies in service reliability and availability, as are the accessibility to first- and last-mile accessibility and the integration with Intermediate Public Transport (IPT). While IPT is an affordable last-mile travel choice for most of its users, it increases overall travel costs. This cost burden is especially high for low-income travelers. Inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and the gender-related differences in perceived accessibility also reduce the attractiveness of public transport. Based on these findings, the study recommends based on the findings: Network restructuring, optimizing the frequency of services, improving pedestrian infrastructure, formal integration of IPT into the public transport system as a first- and last-mile feeder service. The findings show that accessibility, service quality, safety and multimodal integration can greatly increase bus ridership and enable sustainable urban mobility in medium-sized cities.
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