Assessing the impact of urban freight movement on overall traffic flow: a case of bareilly

Abstract

Urban freight movement plays a critical role in the economy of cities, ensuring the timely delivery of goods and services. However, its impact on traffic flow, infrastructure, and overall urban mobility often goes unnoticed. In the case of Bareilly, a rapidly growing city in Uttar Pradesh, freight movement through the city's roads has increasingly affected traffic congestion, especially in high-density commercial areas. This thesis seeks to assess the impact of urban freight movement in Bareilly, focusing on identifying busy loading zones at different times of the day, the types of goods being transported, and the routes frequently used by freight vehicles. Through this analysis, I aim to pinpoint the most congested areas and propose route changes that could streamline freight movement while improving the overall traffic flow for both commercial and private vehicles. This study offers practical solutions to balance economic needs with the city's transportation challenges by exploring alternate routes, enhancing infrastructure, and possibly creating time-specific delivery windows. Ultimately, this research provides insights into how Bareilly can achieve a more efficient urban freight system. Urban freight transport is essential for the economic function of cities, facilitating the efficient movement of goods to support a variety of activities, including deliveries to commercial, industrial, and residential consumers. In India, the sector plays a critical role in sustaining urban economic activity, with road transport accounting for 80-90% of the 4.5 billion tonnes of freight moved annually. Logistics in India contributes significantly to the nation's GDP, accounting for nearly 14%, which is substantially higher than the global average of 8-10%. Despite its importance, urban freight transport also contributes to several urban challenges, including traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, accelerated road wear, and safety concerns. Furthermore, inefficiencies within the sector, such as congestion, unregulated vehicle movement, and infrastructure constraints, cause urban freight to constitute nearly 50% of the total transport costs, hindering the nation’s competitiveness. Despite its scale and impact, urban freight in India remains poorly understood and even more poorly managed. The sector is characterized by highly fragmented operations, lack of coordination among stakeholders, and unregulated movement of freight vehicles—especially in dense market areas like Bareilly’s Shyamganj Market. As a result, it contributes disproportionately to urban issues such as traffic congestion, infrastructure deterioration, pollution, and compromised road safety. The city of Bareilly, a rapidly urbanizing Tier-2 city in Uttar Pradesh with a population of over 900,000 (Census 2011), is experiencing significant economic growth, leading to a marked increase in freight movement, particularly within key market areas like the Shyamganj market, a vital commercial hub. A key issue is the competition for limited road space between freight vehicles, passenger vehicles, and pedestrians, which exacerbates traffic bottlenecks, delays, and increased air and noise pollution. Unregulated loading and unloading activities frequently obstruct pedestrian and vehicle pathways, creating safety hazards and diminishing the overall shopping experience, particularly in market areas. This research aims to evaluate the impact of freight transport from industrial and commercial sectors on overall traffic flow in Bareilly. The study will document major road freight transport routes, assess the level of service (LOS) along these routes, and identify key inefficiencies within the current freight transport system.