Passenger Survey Research Articles

Intermodal practices between land transport and the hub of Lomé airport in Togo

All air travellers in Togo pass through Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport (AIGE: Aéroport International Gnassingbé Eyadema) of Lomé. To get in or out of the airport, they must use other means of land transport as part of an intermodal approach. The urban transport system in Lomé is disjointed, with no interconnection between the land transport hubs and the airport hub, making it extremely difficult for users to get to and from AIGE. It is true that there is a public transport service called SOTRAL, but it does not serve the airport, while the use of artisanal transports to access the airport is prohibited or very restricted. The aim of this study is to analyse intermodal practices between land and air transport in Great Lomé District. The methodological approach used is based on surveys of passengers at bus stations and AIGE, interviews with transport stakeholders, counts of feeder and distribution modes, and observation of practices in the field. The study shows that in the absence of a specific transport service to serve the main multimodal hubs such as the airport, travelers are bound to use their own means of transport or hire very expensive artisanal transports or private vehicles to get to the airport. To leave the airport, travelers make more use of the airport’s VIP private taxis (32%), which are very expensive on arrival. Those who do not want to hire the airport’s expensive private taxis are forced to walk 300 m with their parcels to pick up a city taxi at the side of the road.

Antarctic tourism: regional ambassadors or last-chance tourists?

ABSTRACT Antarctic tourism doubled in the past decade to a record-high 104,076 visitors in 2023. Rapid growth has raised alarms about the environmental effects of tourism in a region already threatened by climate change. The term ‘last-chance tourism’ was coined to capture how tourist desire to experience destinations threatened by climate change drives industry expansion, while also accelerating environmental decline. Other researchers have found support for the industry-driven concept of ‘ambassadorship,’ which purports that post-travel, tourists experience an increased connection to, knowledge of, and passion for Antarctica, thereby becoming conservation advocates for the region. In this study, we examined the paradoxical relationship between last-chance tourism and ambassadorship. We conducted an online, post-cruise survey of passengers on board a small expedition vessel to Antarctica in the 2022–2023 astral summer to see how their perceptions and actions had changed, not just with regards to Antarctica, but also to environmental protection and conservation in general. While results support the claim that Antarctic tourists do transform into ambassadors, the efficacy of their advocacy is questionable, as few engaged in meaningful behavioral change. Results suggest the ambassador effect may need to be ‘activated’ in some way through shipboard lectures, increased access to information, or other activities.

Estimation of Discontinuities from the Introduction of Tablet Based Data Collection on the International Passenger Survey

The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics to measure tourism flows and tourist expenditure, and international migration. It is interviewer-administered, and the questionnaire instrument was changed in 2017 to 2018 from a paper questionnaire (completed by the interviewer) to an electronic questionnaire administered with a tablet. For operational reasons no parallel run was possible, but the new questionnaire was rolled out progressively to sampling locations. This phased introduction supported the estimation of the effects of the new questionnaire on the main outputs from the survey. We describe initial simulations designed to estimate the power of the phased introduction approach to detect important difference in the IPS outputs, and analyses of the survey estimates at different stages up to the end of 2019 using state-space models, to estimate the discontinuities in the survey outputs. We make an assessment of the effectiveness of the overall approach.

Environmental Impacts of Transportation Network Company (TNC)/Ride-Hailing Services: Evaluating Net Vehicle Miles Traveled and Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts within San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Using Survey and Activity Data

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) play a prominent role in mobility within cities across the globe. However, their activity has impacts on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study quantifies the change in personal vehicle ownership and total miles driven by TNC drivers in three metropolitan areas: San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and Washington, D.C. The data sources for this analysis comprise two surveys, one for TNC passengers (N = 8630) and one for TNC drivers (N = 5034), in addition to data provided by the TNC operators Uber and Lyft. The passenger survey was deployed within the three metropolitan areas in July and August 2016, while the driver survey was deployed from October to November 2016. The TNC operator data corresponded with these time frames and informed the distance driven by vehicles, passenger frequency of use, and fleet level fuel economies. The data from these sources were analyzed to estimate the impact of TNCs on travel behavior, personal vehicle ownership and associated VMT changes, as well as the VMT of TNCs, including app-off driving. These impacts were scaled to the population level and collectively evaluated to determine the net impacts of TNCs on VMT and GHG emissions using fuel economy factors. The results showed that the presence of TNCs led to a net increase of 234 and 242 miles per passenger per year, respectively, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, while yielding a net decrease of 83 miles per passenger per year in Washington, D.C. A sensitivity analysis evaluating net VMT change resulting from vehicle activity and key behavioral impacts revealed the conditions under which TNCs can contribute to transportation sustainability goals.

Analysis of the determinants of service quality in the multimodal public transport system of Bhopal city using structural equation modelling (SEM) and factor analysis

The service quality of multimodal public transport system plays a crucial role in maintaining the overall efficiency and sustainability of urban mobility and the seamless integration of transportation. This study evaluates the determinants of service quality in the multimodal public transport system of Bhopal, India, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Factor Analysis, Subgroup Analysis, and Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). A detailed survey of passengers identified six latent variables: reliability, comfort, safety, accessibility, information, and customer service. SEM analysis revealed significant positive relationships between all six factors and passenger satisfaction, with reliability (β = 0.358, p < 0.001) and comfort having the strongest influence. Subgroup analysis showed variations in the importance of service quality factors among different age groups, genders, and usage frequencies. The IPA grid identified comfort and accessibility as priority areas for improvement. The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing these factors to enhance passenger satisfaction and promote sustainable urban mobility in developing countries. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers and transit authorities to effectively improve service quality and meet passengers’ satisfaction in multimodal public transport systems.

ENHANCING URBAN MICRO-MOBILITY: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF INTEGRATED BIKE SHARING AT COMMUTER RAIL STATIONS IN YOGYAKARTA URBANIZED AREA

Climate change, particularly CO2 emissions from the transportation sector, poses a significant global challenge. Promoting micro-mobility services, especially bike sharing programs, is crucial in addressing this issue. This study examines the environmental benefits of integrating bike sharing programs with public transportation by estimating the potential CO2 emission reductions through the avoided motorized trips approach. Data were collected via a commuter line passenger survey in the Yogyakarta Urbanized Area, resulting in 157 valid responses. The estimation considered specific data inputs: trip distance, emission factor, energy factor of transportation mode, and the number of people traveling by mode. Two scenarios related to bike sharing demand and commuter line ridership were employed. The findings reveal that bike sharing demand ranges from 16.03% to 48.08%. In terms of CO2 emissions reduction, the study indicates that avoided motorized trips through bike sharing as an egress mode can potentially reduce cumulative CO2 emissions by up to 567,158.35 tons CO2e by 2030. This reduction corresponds to 0.487% and 160.113% of the national and provincial reduction targets, respectively. These findings provide insightful information to promote sustainable transportation provision.

Factors of the Evolution of Air Passenger Segmentation: The Case of the Serbian Air Travel Market

The paper investigates the evolution of air passenger profiles in terms of regulatory environment, competitive landscape, socio-economic and demographic trends. The research is supported by passenger surveys carried out since 2001. The surveys have been designed to provide objective and in-depth insights into the preferences and behaviors of air passengers in the Serbian market. The resulting passenger segments are categorized based on socioeconomic and travel purpose criteria, but the surveys conducted at Serbian airports reveal that competition triggered the service quality to become a major issue in the Serbian market, after the entrance of low-cost carriers. The research of future projections of air passengers in Serbia is based on the Delphi method for two-time horizons (2025 and 2035) and three future scenarios are proposed.

Measuring Covid-19 effect on rail passenger flow with region-based trip generation models

The Covid-19 pandemic affected the lives of all humans in their daily routines, and the transportation sector became one of the most affected services worldwide. Different instruments are used to enable the effect of the pandemic on transportation to be measured. In this study, trip generation modelling is performed first to understand what factors trigger trip making and how they affect rail passenger flow (RPF) in general; the aim is to measure the loss in RPF due to the Covid-19 pandemic using these trip generation models. Daily RPF data from station to station in Türkiye during the years 2011–2019 are used for the trip generation models and 2016 rail passenger survey data are used for understanding the geographical characteristics of the flow. It is seen that instead of one model covering the whole country, it is more suitable to form different models for specific regions. Using region-based trip generation models, the Covid-19 effect on RPF on the mainlines was measured for the year 2020. Modelled values are anticipated numbers for the no-pandemic condition; therefore, by comparing the modelled and observed data, it is possible to understand how Covid-19 affected the traffic.

Assessment of the Impact of Intercity Bus Station Relocation on Passenger Flows in Urban Public Transport

Problem. The analysis of existing studies on transport hub operation in a city as well as on the methods for modelling the transport demand they generate showed that there are no specific recommendations for assessing the impact of the intercity bus station location on the trip patterns in urban transport system. This caused the need to search for a tool suitable to assess the influence of intercity bus station relocation on passenger service and passenger flows in the urban transport system. This paper shows the results of addressing this issue respective to urban public transport operation. Goal. The goal of the paper is to model the passenger flows to and from intercity bus stations considered transport anchors in urban public transport system as well as estimate the impact of station relocation on passenger flows and quality of service. Methodology. To achieve the stated goal, a survey of intercity passengers at the bus stations in the city of Rivne was made. This allowed for collecting the distances of the trips to and from existing bus stations and fitting the theoretical distribution to describe them. This distribution was used as the deterrence function during trip matrix calculation, which was required for the development of the public transport model. The model made it possible to quantify the potential impact of the Bus Station “Rivne” relocation on the urban transport system. Results. The considered bus station relocation can cause a decrease in the quality of service for passengers travelling to and from the station by public transport due to a probable significant increase in the average travel time and distance, the number of transfers, the passenger hours spent on travelling, and the passenger-kilometres covered to ensure the trips under study. Originality For the first time, the quantitative estimation of the impact of bus station relocation based on the regularities in the lengths of the trips to and from the stations was obtained. Practical value. The obtained trip length distribution can be used to calculate the origin-destination matrix, develop the public transport model, and quantify the probable consequences of the transport hub relocation.

A multi-criteria decision-making framework for sustainable road transport systems: Integrating stakeholder-cost-environment-energy for a highway case study in United Arab Emirates

Existing lifecycle assessment models narrowly concentrate on limited parameters, disregarding system ecology and multi-stage stakeholder integration with sequestered analyses. Assimilation of new transport technologies with traditional design-bid-build decision-making paradigm should acknowledge sustainability triple-bottom-line social, cost, and environmental impacts, across all lifecycle stages for a system-wide optimisation. This study presents a multilevel framework to evaluate road transport system projects utilising 1) stakeholder engagement for flexibility in establishing key performance indicators, 2) passenger surveys to identify what encourages mode choice towards public transport, 3) microsimulation models, lifecycle cost and lifecycle analysis for quantitative assessment, 4) analytic hierarchy for qualitative assessment, and finally 5) multi-criteria modelling with stakeholder expert group preferences. Framework is applied to a 5-lane dual carriageway project in Abu Dhabi, analysing eight virgin and recycled material-based and public transport service alternatives. Study revealed the significance of saved user time, reduced fuel consumption during use phase and vehicle operational costs as the highest lifecycle impact generators. The total sustainability performance across the lifecycle for all alternatives was affected by traffic gridlock formation due to traffic growth in later years and lack of traffic load reduction strategies. Results showed that an autonomous vehicle-based bus rapid transit service coupled with recycled material to construct the road significantly reduced lifecycle cost (51.1%), energy (55.6%) and pollutant (54.5%-CO2, 49.7%-NOx, 24.1%-PM) burdens. It exhibited effectiveness of system choice using lifecycle assessment over the typically fragmented project planning and evaluation approach. Overall, framework exhibited robustness against unit cost and LCI uncertainties, fuel distribution assumptions, discount rate, and indicator weights variations based on priorities of different stakeholder groups.

Developing your airport customer experience measurement model

In recent times, there has been a shifting paradigm in the realm of customer service, transitioning from a focus on the supplier’s quality management to prioritising the quality experience of customers. The primary objective of this study is to introduce a novel model known as the airport customer experience measurement model (Airport-CXMM). This model is designed to facilitate enhanced customerorientated service experience management and to reframe the assessment criteria for quantifying the customer experience (CX) within airport environments. Airport-CXMM takes into account three pivotal components — customer service quality, customer effort and customer value — all of which are critical factors in shaping CX, along with the influential factors traditionally employed in established models. Moreover, the study utilises the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to effectively capture the relative importance and assign quantitative weights to each of these factors. To demonstrate the suitability and effectiveness of Airport-CXMM, the model underwent validation through both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), utilising passenger survey data obtained from Incheon International Airport (ICN). This study holds significant value as it introduces an innovative model for the quantitative measurement of CX within airport settings. It is anticipated that Airport-CXMM can be effectively harnessed by airport operators and other stakeholders in the industry, enabling them to systematically manage and formulate strategies aimed at enhancing the CX, aligning with the recent shift in the customer service paradigm.

Технология создания тура по железной дороге

Nowadays the current situation in the world makes domestic tourism the most relevant type of tourism for our country, and therefore there is a tendency for the development of railway tours. The purpose of the study is creating tourist railway trips. The subject of the research is the technology of designing railway tours. The mentioned statistics demonstrate the insufficient eye of rail transport for tourist trips in comparison with automobile and air transport. The place of the Russian Federation in the ranking of countries in terms of tourist passenger traffic has been shown. A generalization of the problems hindering the development of railway tourism has been carried out. Thanks to the generated list of factors significant to customers we have chosen a travel route and identified 10 priority routes for locals under study. The technology of selecting promising touristic routes and directions for improving the organization of tourist trips along the same road has been presented. This technology is a result of an assessment of their competitiveness based on the survey of passengers of specific railway routes in the region. The obtained research results can be used to justify the choice of an option when developing travel railway routes. Using the passengers’ opinions on certain routes of a particular region allows us to offer railway tours that are in demand.

Train passengers' perceptions and preferences for different platform and carriage design features

Specific design features and functions on the platform and inside of the train carriage can significantly affect how efficiently and smoothly passengers can move in and out of the train. Industry follows the design standard and guidelines to satisfy the minimum requirement. However, the views of rail users are often overlooked and not well understood. This study fills the knowledge gap by investigating different platform and train carriage design features and understanding train passengers' perceptions and preferences for the proposed design. An online passenger survey targeting Melbourne Metro train users was conducted. By analyzing 429 valid responses, we gained insights into passengers' perceptions and preferences regarding train and platform design. A novel finding is that a vertical pole is the most preferred handhold type, while a rigid handrail is the least preferred handhold type. The 2+2 seating is voted as the most preferred interior layout, which is consistent with previous studies. The ranking on 2+2 seating layout is moderately associated with travel time and travel frequency, while the ranking on 2+3 seating is strongly associated with travel time. It is also found that the preferences for boarding sign and occupancy sign design are significantly associated with gender, age group, and travel frequency. Surprisingly, no statistically significant associations were found between any of the personal or travel variables with queuing sign preference, side seating ranking, or hanging strips ranking. The findings drawn from the analysis and the recommendation of this paper can provide valuable guidance for rail manufacturers in implementing design changes, as well as for service operators in adopting new strategies and interventions to enhance service quality and customer satisfaction.

Airport accessibility surveys and mobile phone records data fusion for the analysis of air travel behaviour

Mobility surveys normally present a high level of detail, but their sample size tends to be bounded due to high sampling cost. Meanwhile, anonymised mobile network data present a significant sample size, but may lack detailed travellers’ trip information (e.g., trip purpose, mode choice, etc.). This paper uses airport passenger surveys to develop a set of machine learning models able to estimate the passengers travel purpose and access modal choice in order to reconstruct the door-to-door trip information obtained from mobile network data in future studies. The proposed approach is demonstrated and evaluated for Madrid-Barajas and Palma de Mallorca airports.

Technical Feasibility Study of Trans Metro Dewata Bus Operation Plan for Corridor 5

The high mobility in the urban area of Sarbagita, Bali, has led to an increased need for transportation options. The BRT Trans Metro Dewata public transportation system has been operated since 2020, aiming to reduce private vehicle usage. The plan to implement corridor 5 (Kuta Central Parking- PNB Campus -Titi Banda) starting from May 2023 aims to expand service coverage and increase the load factor. A technical feasibility study was conducted involving passenger surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to analyze demand and supply. Passenger characteristics reveal a majority aged 16-30, with bachelor's and high school education levels, employed in the private sector, with incomes ranging from 4-8 million IDR per month. They include "Choice users" who could use private vehicles but choose public transportation. The potential demand averages 27,194 passengers per month, peaking at 29,060 passengers in June, with a load factor of 28.88%. The low passenger growth rate (1-2%) estimates around 29,438 passengers per month in five years. Optimal operation by the operator involves 16 bus fleets while maintaining minimal standards. Eliminating subsidies requires substantial growth, reaching 16,339 passengers daily.

Sentimental Approach to Airline Service Quality Evaluation

This paper focuses on the analysis of traditional methods of service quality evaluation and represents a new sentimental approach to airline service quality evaluation employing user-generated content. It identifies aspects of airline service that passengers react to positively or negatively using the word cloud method—a basic straightforward exploratory analysis tool. The aim is to introduce an approach that can be implemented using freely available analytical software tools and freely available data. As a case study, authors evaluated selected airlines’ service quality using sentimental analysis of user-generated content. The research relied on sentiment analysis of Twitter posts related to selected airlines’ service quality. The paper describes how Twitter can be used for data mining, sentimental analysis, and airline service quality evaluation. The authors analysed over 30,000 posts related to the service quality of Ryanair, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and KLM and proposed two types of word clouds (for each individual airline) which allow more informed decisions about enhancing the service quality of selected airlines. Compared to rather expensive traditional methods of airline service quality evaluation, such as onboard surveys of airline passengers or on-site surveys of passengers at airport departure gates, the key advantages of this new approach are the availability of free data and free analytical software tools. Moreover, this approach allows analysis of the service quality of competing airlines and, thus, provides internal opportunities for comparison. The results contribute to the literature by clarifying how both positive and negative passenger feedback impacts airline service quality and airline product planning.

Evaluating fare evasion risk in bus transit networks

In Proof-of-Payment Transit Systems (POP-TSs), fare evasion is a crucial issue for Transit Agencies (TAs) and/or Public Transport Companies (PTCs) worldwide. The related research background is based on the standard ratio between evaders and inspected passengers, whereas no research quantified the risk of fare evasion in POP-TSs. The objective of this study is the introduction of a framework covering this gap: it integrates fare evasion factors, prediction models, a risk-based method and returns the risk value on (parts of) routes as a function of the frequency of fare evasion, the related severity and exposure terms. Next, routes are ranked according to the risk value and classified by a 5-level scale, to show the (parts of) routes with the highest risk of evasion. Results show the capability of this framework on about 20,000 real-world data records gathered by a mid-sized Italian bus company through fare inspection logs and passenger surveys. To conclude, this framework is a support tool for TAs/PTCs to improve fare compliance and can be incorporated into any transit managerial system.

Passengers’ Perception of Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Travel Experience Attributes: Results from an Australian Survey

Rail, one of the most sustainable modes of transport, is vital in carrying mass passengers in many urban cities. Passengers’ satisfaction with railway services is mostly discussed in the context of service quality in the literature. However, limited studies have considered other attributes that may influence passengers’ satisfaction, such as their travel experience and issues encountered. This study aims to systematically model passengers’ satisfaction and its relationship with travel experience attributes. This paper makes a theoretical contribution by proposing a conceptual model that evaluates the overall satisfaction of passengers through four attribute groups, including traveller attributes, trip attributes, service attributes, and other attributes. The model is tested with the 429 valid responses collected from a passenger survey targeting Metro train users in Melbourne, Australia. Result shows that the best-fitted model is produced only when all attribute groups are considered together, for which 60% of the variation in overall satisfaction is accountable. It is found that all attribute groups have at least one variable included in the final model, and the service attribute group has the greatest influence. The best model has nine significant variables, with eight having positive associations to the overall satisfaction and one variable (GroupTravel) having a negative association. This finding suggests that consideration of other attributes is also important besides the service attributes, and hence advances our scientific understanding of train passengers’ satisfaction with train services. The public transport sector and the operators can use this knowledge to improve service and increase passenger satisfaction.

Optimizing the Transfer Process of Air-Rail Integration Services: A Simulation Approach

With the progress of regional integration in China and the growth of passenger travel demand, a single travel mode has been unable to meet passengers’ cross-regional, multimodal, and personalized travel needs. Air-rail integration service (ARIS) is gradually catching on with travellers. Compared with developed countries, ARIS remains in its infancy in China, with a low penetration rate. Against this backdrop, this study presents an SP survey of ARIS passengers at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport as an example and analyses the factors affecting their transfer process using multiple ordinal logistic regression. The satisfaction analysis results help to construct a simulation model of ARIS of Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport by using AnyLogic to verify the optimization effect. The research results show a significant impact on the ARIS transfer process by gender, education, occupation, travel mode, travel cost, location of the shuttle bus, arrival frequency of shuttle bus, manual baggage check-in service, self-service check-in, and the performance of security check equipment. The adoption of optimization measures will reduce ARIS shuttle bus, baggage check-in, and security check-in times by 68%, 50%, and 45%, respectively.

Pilot survey of passengers’ preferences in Mobility as a Service (MaaS) scenarios: a case study

Transport and mobility are evolving towards the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS). MaaS is an integrated mobility system that considers the mobility needs of users as a central element of the transport service. Therefore, the mere definition of centralized and advanced technological systems is not enough to ensure the success of a MaaS.This paper presents a pilot survey for capturing the main behavioural variables (users’ choices) of transport users to support the ex-ante statistical analysis of a MaaS and to design the survey for analysing users’ behaviour.The knowledge of users’ choices may be carried out through existing information sources and statistical analysis. In a first stage, considered in this paper, the direct estimation of users’ choices started from interviews of a pilot sample of users, that may be supported by aggregate data (e.g. passengers’ flows measured on some elements of the transport network).In the current scenario, the surveys concern the detection of trip choices of users belonging to the pilot sample, interviewed in a virtual context, among a set of available trip alternatives.The main objectives of this paper are the following: to build an updated state-of-the art of survey methods concerning transport users’ behaviour; to identify the main disaggregated and aggregated variables of the transport system to be detected for supporting the analysis of MaaS; to obtain empirical evidences about transport users’ behaviour in presence of MaaS from the pilot users interviewed.