Self-reported information on individuals’ access to infrastructure and services relevant to distance and travel time is commonly recorded in social surveys. Accuracy issues and rounding-off errors afflict the data obtained through this technique. 

This study explores the use of Google Places API as an alternate approach for estimating the distance and travel time between respondents’ locations and the closest infrastructural facilities. Along with socio-demographic information, the study gathered self-reported data on the time taken to access the closest amenities from 1,238 entrepreneurs in four districts of India.