TITLE:
Features Desired in Public Transport in a Developing City: Users’ Perspective
AUTHORS:
Md. Nafis Imtiyaz, Md. Golam Sobhani, Mostafiz Emtiaz
KEYWORDS:
Public Transport, Feature, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Questionnaire, Respondents, Weightage
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Transportation Technologies,
Vol.13 No.4,
September
22,
2023
ABSTRACT: Excessive growth of population and urbanization in the developing
countries set an increasing demand of mobility services. To meet this demand, public
transport plays a significant role by providing an easy and affordable mobility
service. Public transport service is a process evolving over time nevertheless
is not always directly responsive to the changing demand of the passengers.
Recently in developing countries, the unpleasant experience in public transport
services is seen as one of the main reasons behind increased passenger car
share, which eventually lead to traffic congestion. However, the situation can
be ameliorated if the features of the public transport are improved by
addressing the users’ demand. In this study, the
primary features desired and demanded by the passengers of a developing country
are identified by three phase survey. These identified features are also categorized
based on public responses. And finally, the required features in an appropriate
public transport mode are prioritized by using a common Multi Criteria Decision
Making approach (AHP—Analytic Hierarchy Process). The study
suggests that residents of the developing city are not that much concern on the
outlook and ambience of the service rather they are concerned about finishing
their trips safely in time at an affordable rate. The findings of this research
will help planners and decision makers to make the best use of the investment
in public transport services and infrastructure to promote these modes over
privately owned vehicle.