Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers
This study investigates the socio-economic impacts of traffic congestion in Shimla, a Smart City in the Indian Himalayan region undergoing rapid urbanization. Employing a mixed-methods design, it integrates structured surveys (n = 720), direct field observations, GIS-based spatial analysis, and real...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Urban, Planning and Transport Research |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21650020.2025.2502000 |
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| author | Ajitesh Singh Chandel |
| author_facet | Ajitesh Singh Chandel |
| author_sort | Ajitesh Singh Chandel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the socio-economic impacts of traffic congestion in Shimla, a Smart City in the Indian Himalayan region undergoing rapid urbanization. Employing a mixed-methods design, it integrates structured surveys (n = 720), direct field observations, GIS-based spatial analysis, and real-time IoT sensor data. Quantitative analysis through descriptive statistics, ordinal logistic regression, t-tests, ANOVA, and Kruskal – Wallis tests revealed that congestion significantly affects travel times, stress levels, accident risks, and operational costs, with impacts varying across age, income, occupation, and gender groups. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses emphasized psychological stress, work disruptions, and family time loss as key concerns. Spatial regression (R2 = 0.76) identified major congestion hotspots such as Victory Tunnel and ISBT Crossing, linking physical delays with perceived socio-economic burdens. A cost – benefit analysis of proposed mitigation strategies – including adaptive traffic control, dedicated bus lanes, park-and-ride facilities, and seasonal traffic management – demonstrated strong feasibility and potential to reduce congestion delays by up to 30%. The findings offer actionable insights for sustainable urban mobility planning, emphasizing the need for targeted, data-driven interventions to enhance transport resilience in mountainous cities like Shimla. The study also contributes to broader discussions on Smart City development and sustainable urbanization in topographically constrained environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d48805812c554e6ab316bf7fb15f7c4b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2165-0020 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urban, Planning and Transport Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-d48805812c554e6ab316bf7fb15f7c4b2025-08-20T03:08:01ZengTaylor & Francis GroupUrban, Planning and Transport Research2165-00202025-12-0113110.1080/21650020.2025.2502000Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengersAjitesh Singh Chandel0Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Bule Hora University, Bule Hora, EthiopiaThis study investigates the socio-economic impacts of traffic congestion in Shimla, a Smart City in the Indian Himalayan region undergoing rapid urbanization. Employing a mixed-methods design, it integrates structured surveys (n = 720), direct field observations, GIS-based spatial analysis, and real-time IoT sensor data. Quantitative analysis through descriptive statistics, ordinal logistic regression, t-tests, ANOVA, and Kruskal – Wallis tests revealed that congestion significantly affects travel times, stress levels, accident risks, and operational costs, with impacts varying across age, income, occupation, and gender groups. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses emphasized psychological stress, work disruptions, and family time loss as key concerns. Spatial regression (R2 = 0.76) identified major congestion hotspots such as Victory Tunnel and ISBT Crossing, linking physical delays with perceived socio-economic burdens. A cost – benefit analysis of proposed mitigation strategies – including adaptive traffic control, dedicated bus lanes, park-and-ride facilities, and seasonal traffic management – demonstrated strong feasibility and potential to reduce congestion delays by up to 30%. The findings offer actionable insights for sustainable urban mobility planning, emphasizing the need for targeted, data-driven interventions to enhance transport resilience in mountainous cities like Shimla. The study also contributes to broader discussions on Smart City development and sustainable urbanization in topographically constrained environments.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21650020.2025.2502000Traffic congestionsocio-economic impactssmart cityGIS spatial analysissustainable urban mobility |
| spellingShingle | Ajitesh Singh Chandel Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers Urban, Planning and Transport Research Traffic congestion socio-economic impacts smart city GIS spatial analysis sustainable urban mobility |
| title | Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers |
| title_full | Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers |
| title_fullStr | Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers |
| title_short | Traffic congestion in Shimla: a smart city in the Himalayan mountain landscape—analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers |
| title_sort | traffic congestion in shimla a smart city in the himalayan mountain landscape analyzing socioeconomic impacts from the perspectives of drivers and passengers |
| topic | Traffic congestion socio-economic impacts smart city GIS spatial analysis sustainable urban mobility |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21650020.2025.2502000 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ajiteshsinghchandel trafficcongestioninshimlaasmartcityinthehimalayanmountainlandscapeanalyzingsocioeconomicimpactsfromtheperspectivesofdriversandpassengers |