Bus Service Improvement Plan for Battaramulla along with Location Analysis for a Transport Hub

Abstract

Deteriorating quality of public transport is a major concern in Sri Lanka. This study focuses on how to improve public transport in Battaramulla, which is the administrative capital of Sri Lanka, located in its Western Province. This administrative division has 11,000 government workers, of whom 56 percent use buses. It has, over 250,000 residents, 37 percent of whose trips also are made by buses. This study was conducted to identify the demand and supply characteristics of the area, to analyse bus routes for service improvements and to comparatively evaluate among several sites available to locate a multimodal transport terminal. Using the results of an Origin-Destination study, it was concluded that four new bus service routes, if introduced, would improve passenger connectivity. It also inferred, through a Multi-Criteria Analysis, and considering accessibility, connectivity and costs, that the best site to locate a multimodal transport centre would be that proposed by the Urban Development Authority. Since, this study was confined only to bus passengers and bus transport facility improvement, further research may be necessary, including other parameters and transport modes, to validate its outcomes and recommendations.