Passenger Behavioral Response to Off-Peak Fare Reduction in Airport Rail Link, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

This study has the main objective to analyze the effect of fare reduction on passenger travel behavior. A questionnaire has been used as a tool to analyze the travel characteristics and factors that motivate passengers to shift travelling time. Also, the amount of time that travelers are able and willing to change in Bangkok has been investigated and analyze from the questionnaire. The population are the Airport Rail Link (ARL) passenger in Thailand. The sampling size is 740 passengers using Taro Yamane formula with the 97.5% confident level. The distribution of questionnaires is both onsite and online surveys. The Binary Logit Model was using to analyze. The data has been analyzed by the STATA program. The results showed that the passenger who are older, higher income, higher level of education degree are not likely to change their travel times compare with the lower groups. For the factors that motivate them to shift time, the findings suggested that the rate of discount, length of time shift, and the travelling distance have a significant effect at 0.01. The Binary Logit Model analysis found that the shift time of 1 h with the satisfaction rate of discount between 8.40–19.20 baht in the morning and in the evening with 6.60–12.60 baht are the times that people are able and willing to change for a given discount. The study results can be used with other policies to give discount rates to passengers who are willing to shift their travel times. This will help at least to solve the overcrowding problem during the rush hours at ARL stations.