AHMEDABAD: An average Surti’s commute — the distance they travel to work — is 5.5 km. The figure is the lowest among the 35 largest cities in the country. In Mumbai, which is just four hours from Surat by rail, the average commute is 12.3 km, the highest in the country. Experts from Cept University’s Centre for Excellence for Urban Transport (CEUT) said that cities with smaller commutes are more efficient as people spent lesser time on roads, which leads to fewer traffic jams, and such cities save on fuel and cause less pollution.

A male office-goer in Mumbai travels an average of 12.5 km in one direction while his counterpart in Surat has a 4.5 km commute. The women of Dhanbad have the shortest average commute, 4.3km, followed closely by Surti women, who commute an average of 4.5 km. CEUT executive director Shivanand Swamy said, “Our research shows that women across major cities are either not travelling or travelling less and are more dependent on walking. Safer, affordable public transport and good pedestrian pathways are a necessity for women across cities.”

....