4 min readAhmedabadNov 29, 2023 08:09 AM IST
First published on: Nov 29, 2023 at 08:09 AM IST
Despite its extensive network, public transportation is not the first choice of travel in Ahmedabad due to its unreliable service, poor accessibility and overall commuter experience, forcing residents to choose private vehicles that provides travel efficiency and door-to-door connectivity, a project conducted by the Faculty of Planning at CEPT University has revealed.
The ‘Understanding the City’ project report concluded that while public transport is five times more affordable than private transport, it is thrice more time-consuming than private transport.
Over 125 first semester postgraduate students worked on the project, the report on which was displayed at the winter exhibition inaugurated at CEPT University on Monday. The students surveyed over 3,500 households as well as over 1,800 people each who used public and private transport.
Prof Nitika Bhakuni, the faculty tutor for the project, said, “Ahmedabad has a fairly good network of public transport, including Metro, BRTS and AMTS… but that does not mean these are used. The surveys revealed that for shorter distances, less than 7-8 km, public transport is not a choice… residents prefer public transport for a distance above 10 km. Also, 60 per cent of the people use private transport for work and education.”
As per the report, lack of footpaths, real-time information on transport services, fare and physical integration emerged as the major reasons forcing residents to choose private transport.
As the students examined 15 key job centres in Ahmedabad, it came to light that areas near the city’s centre – like Navrangpura and the Old City – exhibit higher job density, attracting commuters from across the city. In contrast, centres like Bapunagar and Maninagar on the east drew commuters from closer proximity.
Of the total trips taken in public transport by commuters, 60 per cent are work trips and 20 per cent are trips to and from educational facilities, the report stated.
“Despite 15 of the 25 predominant job centres being connected to BRTS, lack of physical fare and information integration resulted in low ridership. While 90 per cent of the households and commuters said public transport was affordable, 70 per cent rated it low on accessibility and efficiency,” Prof Bhakuni said.
Improved public transportation can be achieved by augmenting the bus fleet, reducing waiting time, increasing the frequency of services and prioritising safety measures, the report stated, adding that public transport in Ahmedabad needs more buses to be connected to integrated multi-modal hubs.
The other aspect of the project, focussing on an evidence-based approach for framing and exploring complex urban situations and problems, revealed that “designated public spaces in Ahmedabad are inaccessible and therefore, not public in true sense of the word”.
According to the report, designated public spaces across 15 precincts selected for the project amounted to only 1.1 per cent open space for a population of 5,62,217 – roughly 2.1 sq m per capita.
Prof Umesh Shrupali, associated with the project, said: “Fifteen public spaces were analysed for visual porosity and physical accessibility. The survey indicated that of the 15, 70 per cent have less than 50 per cent visual porosity, indicating them being located in small pockets surrounded by large compounds and lesser road frontages.”
Also, the cumulative analysis of the 15 public spaces indicated that only 27 per cent of them are accessible from more than two entry and exit points. The report also said that only 48 per cent of parks in Ahmedabad are accessible by all income groups, Prof Shrupali added.
Despite its extensive network, public transportation is not the first choice of travel in Ahmedabad. (Representational image via Canva) 
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