Travel Time Delay Study on Congested Urban Road Links of Ahmedabad City

Abstract

Highly increasing vehicle population results in transportation problems, and thus it leads to the requirement of more efficient transportation systems. Indian urban road traffic consists of different types of vehicles with different sizes, speed, and maneuverability moving on the same right of way without lane discipline and without obeying general traffic rules. They create chaos on junctions and result in enormous delays, more fuel consumption, air and noise pollution, accidents, and also restrict the movement of emergency vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify the travel time delay in existing traffic conditions. The aim of this study is to quantify the delay in travel time and to identify its causes. As per that the various traffic surveys have been carried out on selected stretches of Kalupur region in Ahmedabad. In this study, it is proposed to measure the travel time delay and to ascertain the notable factors which result in these delays. License plate method and GPS in floating car method are used to collect travel time data during peak hours in the morning and evening, respectively. With the help of the data collected, Flow–Delay model is generated. Average travel time observed in this area is about 15–20 min/km during evening peak hours. It is found that the travel time delay depends on traffic flow, its composition, slow-moving vehicles, haphazard movement of vehicle without lane discipline, boarding alighting of passengers on the bus stops, and rickshaw stops. It is suggested to provide an efficient mass transport system at separate levels in this area.