A GIS Based Analysis on Use of Inland Waterways for Public Transportation in the Western Province of Sri Lanka

People in the Western Province of Sri Lanka who travel to Colombo, the commercial capital of the country, at peak hours face many hardships in transportation due to congestion of traffic. The railway network of the country seems inadequate to provide a solution to this traffic condition in Colombo City during peak hours. Western Province of Sri Lanka located in the wet zone of the country, has a widely distributed network of inland waterways, including a colonial-era canal system, to transport commodities from inland to Colombo Port. These canals and tributaries are sparsely used at present to transport freight such as bricks, tiles, sand and timber. However, there is potential to use these waterways as a medium of public transportation in order to reduce the road traffic, as a solution to problems of traffic congestion experienced by the commuters living in and around the Western Province. In this work, the shortest routes connecting Colombo Fort to twenty one selected cities in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, by roads and inland waterways, were analysed on the basis of distance, time and feasibility, with the aid of GIS techniques. The methodology adopted in this research can be introduced to other areas of the island with suitable modifications based on local conditions.