School-Based Trips in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh: An Analysis of Trends, Modes, and Influencing Factors

Abstract

The ongoing urbanization trend in Bangladesh is pressuring transportation infrastructure, driving the need for inventive strategies to promote sustainable mobility, underlining the importance of understanding travel behaviours for harmonizing local traffic volume and development. The transportation choices and behaviours of school-going students, particularly their trips to and from school, have significant implications for student safety. The objectives of the study encompass assessing school-based trip patterns along with the adequacy and efficiency of transportation infrastructure around schools in the city. A questionnaire survey and observational assessments were conducted to collect primary data and assess the infrastructure conditions in two schools of Rajshahi City. After investigating the factors influencing modal choice, more than 35% of the respondents chose rickshaw as their preferred mode for home-based trips. While road conditions were generally satisfactory, disparities in amenities like footpaths and parking were evident in both institutions under consideration. These findings emphasize the need for holistic urban transportation planning in Rajshahi City, with targeted improvements to infrastructure, student-focused mobility solutions, and safety to support effective and equitable transport policies.

JBIP, Vol.18, Issue-1, 2025, pp. 01-21