Appraising Accessibility in Rural Areas: An Integrated Approach Focusing on Stakeholders' Perception

摘要

This study presents a methodology for appraising accessibility in rural areas considering both settlement areas and farmlands, taking into account stakeholders' perceptions about accessibility to desired services/facilities. It is motivated by the fact that farmlands, unvaryingly, are the origins or destinations of a significant number of regular trips (passengers and goods) related to agricultural activities, and are, thus, important for accessibility studies in rural areas. A region-level accessibility index has been constructed for the study, which has then been applied to Jalangi block in India. The demonstrative application provides insights into the block's accessibility scenario based on stakeholders' perception. The suggested methodology is replicable to other similar areas with suitable calibrations. Thus, it may complement the existing approaches for rural accessibility planning in general and the Indian scenario in particular. The scope for further studies has been identified.