Mode Choice Modeling to Shift Car Travelers towards Park and Ride Service in the City Centre of Karachi

Irfan Ahmed Memon,Madzlan Napiah,Imtiaz Ahmed Chandio,Mir Aftab Hussain Talpur,Noman Sahito,Hasan Tayyeb,Saima Kalwar

doi:10.3390/su13105638

Abstract

Currently, congestion in Karachi’s central business district (CBD) is the result of people driving their cars to work. Consequently, a park and ride (P&R) service has proved successful in decreasing traffic congestion and the difficulty of finding parking spaces from urban centers. The travelers cannot be convinced to shift towards the P&R service without an understanding of their travel behavior. Therefore, a travel behavior survey needs to be conducted to reduce the imbalance between public and private transport. Hence, mode choice models were developed to determine the factors that influence single-occupant vehicle (SOV) travelers’ decision to adopt the P&R service. Data were collected by an adapted self-administered questionnaire. Mode choice models were developed through logistic regression modeling by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22. The findings concluded that more than 70%, specifically motorbike users, to avoid mental stress, and to protect the environment are willing to adopt the P&R service. Moreover, to validate the mode choice models, logit model training and a testing approach were used. In conclusion, by overcoming these influencing factors and balancing push and pull measures of travel demand management (TDM), SOV users can be encouraged to shift towards P&R services. Thus, research outcomes can support policymakers in implementing sustainable modes of public transportation.

Highlights

IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
The best model was selected for the willingness to use park and ride (P&R) service and revealed the best mode for captive users
The mode choice model predicts that the people of Karachi are willing to adopt a P&R service if stakeholders are going to provide it

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars; it is where the rich use public transport”, Gustavo Petro, Mayor of Bogota, Colombia [1]. Traffic jams and road rage is one of the eminent problems faced by most of the population around the world. The issue of traffic jams in the main urban centers around the world, such as Karachi, is a common occurrence [2]. Traffic congestion tends to draw out, impede, and worsen nonproductive monetary activities in urban communities. Different studies on traffic-related problems are underway in different clusters, including economic and financial problems [3]

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