diff --git a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/smallScaleCommercialTrafficGeneration/SmallScaleCommercialTrafficUtils.java b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/smallScaleCommercialTrafficGeneration/SmallScaleCommercialTrafficUtils.java
index 7b9b8373941..1ea26e82ee3 100644
--- a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/smallScaleCommercialTrafficGeneration/SmallScaleCommercialTrafficUtils.java
+++ b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/smallScaleCommercialTrafficGeneration/SmallScaleCommercialTrafficUtils.java
@@ -96,6 +96,17 @@ static Index getIndexLanduse(Path shapeFileLandusePath, String shapeCRS) {
 		return shpLanduse.createIndex(shapeCRS, "fclass");
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Creates and return the Index of the building shape.
+	 *
+	 * @return indexBuildings
+	 */
+	static Index getIndexBuildings(Path shapeFileBuildingsPath, String shapeCRS) {
+
+		ShpOptions shpLanduse = new ShpOptions(shapeFileBuildingsPath, shapeCRS, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+		return shpLanduse.createIndex(shapeCRS, "type");
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Writes a csv file with the result of the distribution per zone of the input data.
 	 */