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<p>E-rickshaws have emerged as a popular low-cost electric para-transit mode in Indian cities, providing short-distance and last-mile connectivity. Their low cruising speeds (15–25&#xa0;km/h), high maneuverability, and frequent interactions with faster vehicles raise concerns regarding congestion and capacity reduction on arterial roads. Despite their growing presence, limited research has quantified their macroscopic impact on heterogeneous traffic. This study addresses this gap by developing a microsimulation framework explicitly incorporating E-rickshaw characteristics. The simulation model developed in VISSIM was calibrated and validated using field data from an urban arterial to replicate observed speed–flow patterns and vehicle speed distributions. Using the validated framework, scenarios with E-rickshaw penetration ranging from 0 to 50% were simulated to assess impacts on traffic stream performance. The results indicate the existence of a critical penetration threshold, around 10%, beyond which traffic conditions shift from near free-flow to congested regimes. Increasing E-rickshaw share leads to substantial reductions in stream and car speeds, accompanied by rising passenger car unit (PCU) values for E-rickshaws, indicating increased impedance to traffic flow. The study contributes by proposing a replicable microsimulation methodology for modeling unconventional electric para-transit vehicles, identifying penetration thresholds affecting mixed traffic performance, and offering evidence-based insights to support policies that balance electric mobility adoption with urban traffic efficiency.</p>

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A Simulation-Based Study of Impact of E-rickshaw Penetration on Mixed Traffic Flow

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月28日

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  • Sharif Hossain,
  • Anuj Kishor Budhkar,
  • Ritesh Kumar,
  • Angshuman Pandit

摘要

E-rickshaws have emerged as a popular low-cost electric para-transit mode in Indian cities, providing short-distance and last-mile connectivity. Their low cruising speeds (15–25 km/h), high maneuverability, and frequent interactions with faster vehicles raise concerns regarding congestion and capacity reduction on arterial roads. Despite their growing presence, limited research has quantified their macroscopic impact on heterogeneous traffic. This study addresses this gap by developing a microsimulation framework explicitly incorporating E-rickshaw characteristics. The simulation model developed in VISSIM was calibrated and validated using field data from an urban arterial to replicate observed speed–flow patterns and vehicle speed distributions. Using the validated framework, scenarios with E-rickshaw penetration ranging from 0 to 50% were simulated to assess impacts on traffic stream performance. The results indicate the existence of a critical penetration threshold, around 10%, beyond which traffic conditions shift from near free-flow to congested regimes. Increasing E-rickshaw share leads to substantial reductions in stream and car speeds, accompanied by rising passenger car unit (PCU) values for E-rickshaws, indicating increased impedance to traffic flow. The study contributes by proposing a replicable microsimulation methodology for modeling unconventional electric para-transit vehicles, identifying penetration thresholds affecting mixed traffic performance, and offering evidence-based insights to support policies that balance electric mobility adoption with urban traffic efficiency.