Despite a well-established public transportation system in Ahmedabad, commuters prefer using private vehicles instead of  public transit, a project report by CEPT University students revealed.

While Ahmedabad has public transportation options like the metro— Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRC), Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), and Amdavad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS), people’s first choice has been private vehicles. The survey also revealed that out of 3,500 people, 1,800 opted for both private and public transport.

Affordable, but time-consuming

Although  public transport is five times more affordable than private transport, it is three times more time-consuming than private transport, prompting the commuters to opt for the private.

The project report titled ‘Understanding the City’ was done by 125 students under the guidance of Nikita Bhakuni, an associate professor at CEPT University.

Despite its extensive network and staff, public transportation is not the first choice of travel in Ahmedabad. This is owing to its unreliable service, poor accessibility, and overall commuter experience, which is why residents choose private vehicles that provide efficiency and even door-to-door connectivity in some cases, reveals the report.

Private vehicles for shorter routes

Moreover, the survey revealed that people in the city choose to travel by private vehicle if the distance is around 7-8 km; if the distance of their travel is 10 km or more, they lean towards public transport vehicles.

The 15 areas selected for the survey included Navrangpura, SG Highway, CG Road, Ahmedabad court area, Bapunagar, and Maninagar, which usually witness a rush of commuters.

The BRTS connects 15 out of 25 sectors, catering to broad networking in the city; however, due to lack of awareness and the problem with cash payments, they steer them away from BRTS.

While 90% of people think that public transportation is affordable, 70% avoid it due to uncertainty in the service.

The report concluded that service can be made effective by assigning more buses to increase the frequency.

Currently, 2 lakh rickshaws of ride-hailing companies, rickshaws under 17 rickshaw unions, and school vehicles are also part of private vehicles.

The private vehicles also include van and shuttle drivers, usually available for shorter distances, covering areas like SG Highway, SP Ring Road, Narol, and Krishnanagar. 

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