Passenger perceptions and the ideal urban bus journey experience

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2007

Subject Area

planning - surveys, ridership - perceptions, place - urban, mode - bus

Keywords

Urban transit, Surveys, Socioeconomic factors, Socioeconomic aspects, Perception, Passengers, Intracity bus transportation, Edinburgh (Scotland), Demographics, Customer satisfaction, Bus usage, Bus travel, Bus transit

Abstract

Respondents living close to a Quality Bus Corridor indicated which of 68 items were `Things I dislike or things that discourage me from using the bus in Edinburgh'. Eight underlying factors are reported: feeling unsafe (e.g., `Drunk people put me off travelling by bus at night'); preference for walking or cycling (e.g., `I prefer to walk'); problems with service provision (e.g., `No direct route'); unwanted arousal (e.g., `The buses are too crowded'); preference for car use (e.g., `I feel more in control when I drive'); cost (e.g., `The fares are too expensive'); disability and discomfort (e.g., `There are not enough hand rails inside the bus'); and self-image (e.g., `Travelling by bus does not create the right impression'). The influence of age, gender, household income, car availability and frequency of bus use on factor scores is reported. Analysis of write-in responses extended interpretation to include travelling by bus as a social behavior in an exchange space and a formulation of the ideal, `hassle-free', urban bus journey as pleasant/deactivated.

Comments

Transport Policy Home Page: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0967070X

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