Income and commute satisfaction: On the mediating roles of transport poverty and health conditions

Abstract

Due to financial constraints, it can be expected that low-income groups may encounter transport poverty (e.g., limited travel mode options, low accessibility to workplaces) and have poor health conditions, therefore making them feel unsatisfied with commuting. However, few previous studies have examined this assumption. Using data derived from a face-to-face survey performed in 2019 in Chengdu (China), we aim to explore the association between income and commute satisfaction and particularly examine the mediating roles of transport poverty and health conditions in this association. Structural equation modeling is used to estimate both direct and indirect effects of income on commute satisfaction, leading to three major findings. First, due to limited access to cars, people with low incomes are more likely to choose public transit for commuting and indicate a high level of traffic congestion. Consequently, they tend to have long commute durations and are less likely to be satisfied with commuting. Second, low-income groups are more likely to have poor health conditions, which is another cause of their low commute satisfaction. Third, high-income groups are more likely to use private cars for commuting, which also leads to a high level of congestion, long commute durations, and low commute satisfaction.