Platooning Tendency and Subsequent Air Quality on Roads Passing Through Urban Fringes with Significant E-Rickshaw Fractions

Fast urbanization, land use reform, and unplanned growth have changed the periphery of many emerging world cities. Most Indian commuters use road-based intermediate public transportation because public transport is scarce in urban and suburban areas. Motorized three-wheelers and paddle tricycles have been the most common intermediate public transit for years. Because of their reliability, versatility, and ability to transport passengers, battery-operated e-rickshaws have become increasingly popular for local transit. However, fast-moving vehicles sometimes struggle with these vehicles’ unusual static and dynamic characteristics, causing traffic congestion and increased fuel consumption and emissions. This study evaluated the impact of e-rickshaws on traffic mobility and near-road air quality in mixed traffic. It examines how platoons formed by e-rickshaws influence overall traffic flow and investigated the relationship between platooning behavior and environmental impact. The study strategically delineated zones within the suburban area of Kolkata Metropolitan Area by integrating land use characteristics and population density. The data collection procedure utilized a fabricated instrument to quantify air pollution resulting from traffic, simultaneously documenting traffic movements. The result indicated that the vehicle emission largely depends on platoon length and entrapped vehicle types and their composition. The type of platoon leader remains non-sensitive in a polluting road environment when e-rickshaws form about 20%–30% of the traffic. However, lead vehicles in platoons caused significant bearing on near-road air quality in the event of e-rickshaw impeded platoons with a large entrapment of motorized vehicles. The results provided appropriate traffic management strategies for policymakers in the context of mixed traffic.