Public Transport Usage and Perceived Service Quality in a Large Metropolitan Area: The Case of Porto

Hudyeron Rocha (), Manuel Filgueiras, José Pedro Tavares and Sara Ferreira
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Hudyeron Rocha: Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA), Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Manuel Filgueiras: Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA), Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
José Pedro Tavares: Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA), Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Sara Ferreira: Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA), Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Using public transport as an alternative to private motorized vehicles (PMVs) is becoming increasingly popular in many cities worldwide. To understand what incentives and enhancements are necessary to attract and retain more passengers, a comprehensive understanding of the quality of public transport services is essential. This study aims to broaden the existing literature on the knowledge of public transport services in a large, heterogeneous metropolitan area. A cross-examination between a binary and an ordinal logit model is proposed, using data from a mobility survey in the Porto Metropolitan Area (PMA) in Portugal. The results show that households use PMVs mainly for speed (58.8%), comfort (49.3%), and lack of public transport to the destination (35.7%). Households using public transport cite not driving/owning a PMV (52.6%), lack of alternative transport modes (49.1%), and service cost (38.2%) as primary reasons. The perceived service quality (PSQ) within the PMA exhibits variance on multiple levels, depending on the characteristics of the household and the municipality’s location. This study provides policymakers of different cities in the PMA with insight into what incentives would most effectively increase the PSQ and, in turn, attract more passengers. This insight would be valuable in developing strategies to improve public transport usage and reduce PMV usage in the PMA. Adopting these strategies will contribute to reducing environmental impact and reducing traffic congestion.

Keywords: public transport usage; perceived service quality; binary logit; ordinal logit regression; mobility survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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