Road network accessibility analysis using graph theory and GIS technology: a study of the villages of English Bazar Block, India

English Bazar municipality serves quality educational, health, marketing, recreational, administrative, and other urban facilities to the people of urban areas as well as rural areas of its surrounding. Over the last few decades, the study area experiences rapid population growth and positive economic changes. As a result, on a daily basis a huge quantity of goods and population flow within and outside the municipality. It creates high transportation demand for accessing the urban facilities. The roads and railway line radiate from the centre of the municipality towards the villages of this block and other adjacent blocks of the district. The aim of this paper is to analyze the road connectivity and network accessibility of the study villages using graph theory. Moreover, connectivity index, shimbel index, associated number, and average shortest path length have also been used for categorically understanding the magnitude of network accessibility. The result shows regional imbalances in terms of connectivity and network accessibility. Villages are located in the central position and adjacent to the English Bazar municipality (EBM) are most accessible. However, the distant villages which are far from the EBM having poor accessibility and poor road network efficiency. Therefore it would suggest that there is a need to improve the connectivity and accessibility of those distant villages for future growth and development of the study region.

Automated summary

English Bazar municipality provides quality urban facilities to both urban and rural areas, leading to rapid population growth and economic changes in the study area. Despite regional imbalances, villages near the municipality have better accessibility compared to distant villages, highlighting the need for improved connectivity for overall growth and development.