Water transit passenger perceptions and planning factors: A Swedish perspective

Abstract

Increased urban congestion in cities has led to suggestions for the greater use of inland waterways for passenger transit. However, there has been relatively little exploration of how water transit differs in terms of passenger service attributes compared to other transport modes and how passenger attitudes toward water transit service factors may affect overall satisfaction. The present study attempts to address this gap in knowledge in a study of water transport users in Stockholm, Sweden in order understand how water transit fares compared to other modes. Building on the literature of attitudinal studies for other transit modes, a survey was conducted in the Stockholm metropolitan area of water transit users on the primary inner-city water transit route. Details on trip characteristics, demographic and passenger’s attitudes toward service attributes and their satisfaction was collected. After factor analysis, a structural equation model is proposed to explore the impact of service characteristics on global customer satisfaction. The results indicate that the latent factor comfort, including indicators such as cleanliness of vessel and environmental and scenic factors were more significant in explaining overall passenger satisfaction, above service issues such as network size and frequency. The finding supports the growing body of research highlighting the importance of such experiential factors in explaining customer satisfaction within public transport. Greater incorporation of such non-traditional service attributes can therefore give a better picture of transit user mode choice behavior and aid in future service planning ongoing policy development of the water transit network in Stockholm.