AHMEDABAD: Just when Ahmedabad’s civic body wants the city to take up public transport — buses, share bicycles, autorickshaws — for mobility, it is worth noticing how some of the city’s important higher-order commercial areas or (HOCAs) are to yet to be integrated to a large section of the city. Last mile connectivity to work places and those involving high economic centres is crucial to the transportation success. To give an idea of this, one may see how just two of the total 174 bus routes connect Prahladnagar.
Ashram Road, which is spread over 125 hectares is accessible to 58% of the city’s population while CG Road , which is spread over 85 hectares, despite dominating as the retail district for over two decades and being nearer to Ashram Road, has limited public transport access with eight city bus routes passing through. This makes CG Road accessible to just 30% population which is nearly half compared to Ashram Road. Prahladnagar, which is spread over 55 hectares, on the other hand is connected to just 12% of city’s population. This was revealed in a detailed presentation by a city-based planner and Arizona State University (ASZ). “Buzzing commercial centres in any city also require a labour force that, in turn, requires a cheap and affordable commercial transport connectivity to reach those centres. This aspect is generally overlooked by many at the municipal corporation,” said an AMTS official.