Estimating urban freight trips using light commercial vehicles in the Indian textile industry

Abstract

In cities with an industrial growth background, the transport infrastructure has to cater to the needs of industrial freight in addition to the domestic needs of its inhabitants. It becomes more challenging for cities in developing countries that may have limited resources at hand. To study the impact of industrial freight on cities' overall traffic, a case study of the textile industry of Surat is taken up. Surat houses one of the biggest textile industries in India and it has grown organically across the city. In this study, freight trip generation models are developed based on the data collected from establishment surveys at the textile manufacturing units and commercial vehicle drivers' survey. Textile industry induced freight trips are estimated from the models and validated with field data. The impedance of the textile freight movement on the overall traffic flow is also measured using traffic volume studies. The study presents a ready-reckoner to forecast the number of freight trips based on floor area and employees, which can enable policymakers to plan the city's infrastructure for its sustainable growth and co-existence with the textile industry. City logistics would improve considerably if the textile freight traffic is gradually reduced from the city center and ring road area.