Freight Generation Characteristics of Perishable and Non-perishable Wholesale Markets and Its Implications on City Planning Process—Case of Calicut, a Coastal City in India

The transportation of goods within cities has become a significant concern in urban planning due to the heavy burden it places on urban transportation systems and the significant social costs it incurs. There is a consensus that current urban planning and practices lack sufficient attention to understanding the features, challenges, and possibilities of freight transportation. Among all contributors to city logistics, wholesale markets play a prominent role. This research paper focuses on presenting the freight generation (FG) and freight trip generation (FTG) of perishable and non-perishable goods in wholesale markets, along with their operational characteristics. The study examines four markets, two dealing with perishable items and the other two with non-perishable items. The city of Calicut in the state of Kerala, India, is selected as a case study. A commercial establishment survey has been conducted for all four markets, and primary data has been collected. The null hypothesis assumes that the characteristics of both perishable and non-perishable markets are the same. Hypothesis tests, including both parametric and non-parametric tests, have been performed to evaluate the operational characteristics. Partial Least Square and Quantile regression (QR) methods are utilized to assess both freight generation and freight trip generation across the markets. The regression models use the dependent and independent variables obtained from a literature review. This research study has calibrated FG and FTG models that can be applied to address and present a case for the infrastructure requirements of both wholesalers and freight carriers in wholesale markets, aiming for sustainable city development.