Evaluating the Sustainability of Metro and Feeder Bus Integration: A Bengaluru Metro Case Study in India

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and an increase in private vehicle ownership in India's major cities have contributed to increased traffic congestion, pollution, and accidents. These challenges could be addressed in part by encouraging commuters to use public transport instead of private vehicles. The integration of different transport systems would be essential for increasing the utilization and efficiency of public transportation. It is essential to evaluate the existing level of integration among various transport systems to improve it. Consequently, the objective of this research is to adapt a methodology for evaluating the existing level of integration between metro and feeder buses while keeping sustainability as a goal. For evaluation, 18 sustainable transportation indicators were considered. To estimate the Sustainability Integration Index (SII) value, data were collected from transport hubs and nearby bus stops in Bengaluru, India. The multi-criteria method was used for the homogenization of transportation indicators. Based on the expert opinion survey, additional appropriate weights were obtained for each indicator, and the final SII value for selected metro stations was estimated in the range of 0 to 100. The adapted methodology was used to evaluate three transport policies in Bengaluru city relating to the integration of metro and feeder bus services. According to the analysis, the policy of increase in bus frequencies had the highest SII value, with an average increase of 4.97%, followed by policies of relocating bus stops and single ticketing systems, which had average increases of 3.49% and 4.58%, respectively.