This guide is for companies buying transport. Car owners: we run our own fleet and are not adding cars from owners at the moment (why).
Quick answer
How far employees can commute depends on ride time, not distance: what matters is how long the first person picked up spends in the vehicle before and after a shift. Company transport extends the hiring radius to every pickup town a route can reach in an acceptable time; splitting long routes, using pickup points on main roads and sizing vehicles to riders keeps ride times down.
Chapter 01
Why measure the commute in time rather than kilometres?
Because a short route through towns and villages can take longer than a longer highway route, and employees feel the time.
Ahmedabad to Vithalapur is about 80 km and around two hours; Ahmedabad to Mehsana city is about 75 km and around one and a half hours. The kilometres are similar; the time is not. Within a route, every extra stop adds minutes for everyone already on board.
So the useful question is: how long does the first person picked up ride before the shift, and after it? Twice a day, six days a week.
Chapter 02
What decides how far people will commute?
Ride time, shift timing, how early the first pickup is, the comfort of the vehicle, and what the job pays and offers.
| Factor | Effect on the commute | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Ride time | The main limit | Shorter routes, fewer stops |
| Shift start | An early shift means a very early first pickup | Feeder points on main roads |
| Night shifts | Late drops after a long shift | Clear drop rules, rested drivers |
| Vehicle | Comfort over a long ride | Air-conditioned vehicles, right size |
| Reliability | A late van makes a long day longer | Backup plan, live tracking |
Chapter 03
How does route design change the hiring radius?
Splitting long routes, using feeder points and sizing vehicles to riders let a site hire from further away with reasonable ride times.
- Split long routes so no one rides through every town.
- Use feeder points on main roads for staff from nearby villages.
- Direct routes for big towns: a full vehicle from Mehsana or Ahmedabad straight to the gate.
- Size vehicles to riders: Tempo Travellers and buses on full routes, cars on thin ones.
Adding a town to a route costs every passenger on it. Adding a route for that town costs a vehicle. The plan should show both.How we price a new pickup town
Chapter 04
How do you set a hiring radius with company transport?
Decide the longest acceptable ride, map where staff live, ask for a route plan, and mark the towns inside that limit.
- Decide the longest acceptable ride. A company decision, by shift.
- Map where staff live. From HR records or boarding lists.
- Ask for a route plan. With ride times for the first pickup on each route.
- Mark the towns inside the limit. These are your pickup towns.
- Share with recruitment. Hire from the pickup towns first.
- Review every quarter. As routes and headcount change.
Chapter 05
Which pickup towns are common around Gujarat's plants?
Around Becharaji: Mehsana, Kadi, Mandal, Detroj, Viramgam, Chanasma, Harij, Patan and Ahmedabad. Around Vithalapur: Mandal, Sitapur, Hansalpur, Viramgam, Detroj, Dalod, Ahmedabad, Sanand and Kadi.
See the pickup pages for Mehsana, Kadi, Viramgam and Bavla, and transport across Gujarat's industrial belts.
Questions for HR and the vendor
- How long does our first pickup ride today?
- Which towns could we hire from with one more route?
- Which routes should be split?
- Where could feeder points work?
- Which shifts have the longest rides?
Key terms
Commute terms
- Ride time
- Time an employee spends in the vehicle, from pickup to gate.
- First pickup
- The first stop on a route; that employee has the longest ride.
- Hiring radius
- The area a site can hire from, set by acceptable ride time.
- Feeder point
- A pickup point on a main road where staff from nearby villages gather.
- Split route
- One long route divided into two shorter ones.
- Door-to-gate time
- Total time from leaving home to reaching the gate.
In Gujarat
Where we run company transport in Gujarat
Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels runs employee and executive transport from a head office in Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad and a branch at Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji, next to the SMG (Maruti Suzuki) plant, with some cars and drivers based near Sanand and in Vadodara.
- Becharaji and the SMG plant areaPlant gates and vendor units; our branch is at Hansalpur Circle
- Sanand GIDCIndustrial estates in Sanand; cars and drivers based nearby
- Vithalapur and MandalUnits in the Vithalapur industrial area
- ChangodarShift transport for units along the Changodar belt
- AhmedabadOffices, airport accounts and staff pickups
- Gandhinagar and GIFT CityOffice shifts and government movements
- VadodaraSome cars and drivers based in Vadodara
- Mehsana and KadiStaff pickup towns for North Gujarat plants
- Viramgam and BavlaStaff pickup towns between Ahmedabad and the plants
Short answers
Short answers from this guide
- How far can shift staff commute each day?It depends on ride time; each company sets its limit.
- Why measure a commute in time, not kilometres?Because stops and roads, not distance, set the ride time.
- What is a plant's hiring radius?The area within an acceptable daily ride time.
- How can long staff routes be shortened?Split routes, feeder points, direct runs, right-sized vehicles.
- Can a new pickup town be added to the routes?Yes, as a new route or an extension.
- All 100 corporate transport answersOne page per question, in the Knowledge Hub
Questions
Commute questions
What is a reasonable commute for shift staff?
There is no universal figure; each company decides the longest acceptable ride for its shifts. Measure it in time, not kilometres.
How far is Ahmedabad from Vithalapur?
About 80 km, around two hours.
How far is Ahmedabad from Mehsana?
About 75 km, around one and a half hours.
Can you add a new pickup town?
Yes, as a new route or an extension of an existing one, priced in the route plan.
Are your vehicles air-conditioned?
Yes, every car is air-conditioned.
Can staff from villages be picked up?
Yes, at feeder points or nearby villages on request.
How do we know where staff live?
From HR records, or from boarding lists once transport runs.
Does a longer route cost more?
It depends on the pricing model; kilometres and vehicles drive the cost, not riders.
Next step
Ask for a proposal
Tell us the company, the location and what you need to move. We reply with our vendor documents and a proposal; nothing is sent until you press a button.
Transport enquiry from a company.
Car owners: we run our own fleet and are not adding cars from owners at the moment.Keep reading
Related guides and vendor files
- Transport as a hiring and retention benefitWhat a reliable ride is worth to shift staff
- Transport across Gujarat's industrial beltsBecharaji, Sanand, Changodar, Gandhinagar, Vadodara
- Transport planning for a plant expansionNew lines, new shifts and new towns
- How many vehicles for shift transport?The short answer
- Monthly shift transport answers50 answers on contracts, pricing and operations
- All corporate transport guides20 decision guides for HR, admin and purchase
Sources
Where the facts come from
- Owner-confirmed company facts (9 October 2026 questionnaires): licence checks, valid RC, insurance, permit, fitness and PUC shown on request, backup car typically within about an hour for a plant shift, GPS portal login, daily trip report, SLA and NDA on request, vendor audits, invoices split by cost centre, utilisation reports on request.
- Owner-confirmed 9 October 2026 (F01): Ahmedabad–Vithalapur about 80 km and 2 hours; Ahmedabad–Mehsana about 75 km and 1.5 hours. Owner-confirmed pickup towns for Becharaji and Vithalapur.
Cite this guide: Vaibhaviba Bhavsinh Solanki, "How Far Can Employees Commute? A Planning Guide", Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels, updated 31 October 2026, https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/how-far-can-employees-commute.html