01658678

Component

This paper seeks to explain factors influencing public transport passengers’ pre-travel information seeking behaviours in a British urban environment. Public transport traveller surveys were conducted to better understand the journey stages at which information was sought as well as the information sources used. A multivariate explanatory model of pre-travel information seeking behaviour was developed using binomial logistic regression. Explanatory factors considered include socio-demographics, trip context, frequency of public transport use, information sources used, and smartphone ownership and use. The findings suggest that travel behaviour (5+ trips weekly, and <1 trip weekly), socio-demographics (unemployment/unknown employment), trip context (journey planning stages, mode of transport), and preferred information sources (internet site, word-of-mouth, visits to travel shop/centre/library) were significant predictors of pre-travel information seeking behaviours among public transport users in Birmingham. While the final model found that bus users are significantly associated with use of internet sites as a source of pre-travel information, rail users rely significantly on a multiplicity of sources comprising internet sites, word-of-mouth, and visits to a travel shop/centre/library. The final model suggests that metro users tend not to seek pre-travel information. The odds of seeking pre-travel public transport information are 2.512 times greater for respondents who reported <1 trip per week as opposed to those who reported 5+ trips per week. These findings are relevant for passenger information strategies deployed by operators and authorities and can be used to caution against a “one size fits all" strategy for travel information service provision. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP030 Standing Committee on Public Transportation Marketing and Fare Policy. Factors Influencing Public Transport Passengers’ Pretravel Information-Seeking Behavior: Advancing the Evidence Base: This is an alternate title.

18-02956

English

17p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Information retrieval; Passengers; Public transit; Transit riders; Travel behavior; Travel surveys; Urban areas

Birmingham (England)

Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-02956

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:42AM