Assessing the Operational Efficiency of Public Transport in Rajshahi: A User and Operator Perspective

Sustainable development is a broad concept stems from environmental, social and economic equality and vitality. A well-functioning Public transport system is also an important part of a sustainable transportation system, as it focuses on reducing traffic congestion, pollution and provides affordable mobility facilities for people. So, performance evaluation of this public transportation system is a fundamental requirement for a rapidly growing metropolitan city like Rajshahi. Rajshahi is the fourth largest divisional city, containing both motorized and non-motorized transport facilities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of Rajshahi’s public transport system based on efficiency measurement. The main mode of transportation system auto rickshaw, has been selected for this study. Service efficiency, cost efficiency, system efficiency, utilization efficiency and network efficiency are being assessed from both passenger and operators’ perspectives. For the purpose of this investigation, Railgate is considered as the center point, and the Railgate to Binodpur, Railgate to Bazar, Railgate to Court station and Railgate to Nowhata routes are selected. The data collection process was done by conducting questionnaire surveys of passengers and drivers. Also, other data such as velocity, distance, time of travel and delay time were measured by direct observation. The study result reveals that network efficiency is the highest, securing 73.50%, while system efficiency is the lowest, at around 18.48%. Additionally, service efficiency, cost efficiency and utilization efficiency are 37.21%, 22.71% and 30.95%, respectively. These values indicate that although the vehicle speed is faster, the number of auto-rickshaws is increasing in a considerable amount lead to traffic congestion delay. The study outcomes provide an overview of the Rajshahi city transport system, contributing valuable insights for the development of a long-term and well-planned transportation system.