Transactions on Transport Sciences

Transactions on Transport Sciences 2024, 15(1)

Editorial

Ralf Risser

This issue of the TOTS journal focusses entirely on transport modes that are not related to the use of the private car: walking, cycling, public transport and  so-called micro-mobility. The topics dealt with are mode choice and what lies behind it, satisfaction of users with different modes, attitudes of the public towards new modes like the e-scooter, and the perceived effectiveness of measures that aim at shaping mode choice.
To start with, Shkera & Patankar analyse mode choice behaviour for shopping-related excursions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, trying to identify key determinants influencing individuals’ decisions between sustainable travel options and private vehicles. They thereby utilise empirical data from questionnaire surveys conducted on both weekdays and weekends. As in many earlier studies, car ownership, gender, and income emerged as significant mode-choice determinants. The study emphasizes the need for policies prioritising public transport infrastructure and services while promoting environmental sustainability. According to the authors, a more nuanced approach to understand variations within demographic and built environment settings is needed if societies want to take steps towards a more sustainable and liveable urban future.
Work and school trips and factors influencing mode choice for those types of trips are dealt with by Deneke et al. in their study in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. To this end, they conducted surveys, inspections of workplace and school travel, and site visits to key transportation hubs at several locations in the city. Travel behaviour of employees and students were then analysed with the help of a multinomial logit model, thereby treating the choice of transportation mode for a trip as the dependent variable with travel time and costs, among others, as independent variables. The authors found that average monthly income, total travel time, total travel cost, and comfort during the journey significantly influence mode choice. Interestingly, the study highlights that students tend to favour public transportation over motorcycles, but preconditions seem to undermine intentions to use public transport more systematically and more frequently. Appropriate policy is needed to improve preconditions.
The paper of Javid et al., dealing with the customers’ satisfaction with public transportation in Faisalabad (Pakistan), and the implications for a bus rapid transit service, display a similar tendency. Customers there are not satisfied with the existing public-transport options. However, they would be prepared to engage in the use of a bus rapid transit service, if attributes like acceptable costs, more appropriate travel times, time reliability, comfort, and safety – especially for female travellers – were provided. Again, the initiative of policy makers is needed in this respect.
An interesting assumption is the starting point for another paper. Adrie & Rakhmatulloh hypothesise that providing better – or even optimum – preconditions for cycling could turn out as a pivotal move for transitioning towards a low-carbon city. Particularly, the possibility to cover the first and the last mile in connection with public transportation use, and the easiness of use in high-density areas like trade and service zones are features supporting the idea of promoting bicycle use as a possibly decisive step towards a more sustainable and liveable urban future.
All papers mentioned so far suggest steps to influence mode choice in one or the other way. In her work, Babra Duri attempts to assess the perceived effectiveness of certain measures in the City of Tshwane, South Africa. The study sought to determine the extent to which such interventions can reduce dependence on cars and mitigate the environmental impact of transportation. It revealed that the most effective interventions perceived to promote public transport usage were more reliable public transport, more bus routes, and cheaper fares. Personal safety and security were the main concerns for cycling, while improved walking infrastructure increases the likelihood of walking for short distance journeys. However, to achieve improvements substantial investments - and thus the willingness of policy makers to support such investments – are needed.
During the Covid pandemic many citizens adopted innovative travel modes, among others electric scooters. However, the scooter and its use have sparked a public debate. Very often, the use of electric scooters is associated with a perception of scepticism, or even fear. A frequently heard criticism is that both, the product and the users do not comply with the law and are therefore dangerous. The survey of Campisi et al. in the city of Palermo showed that the electric scooter is certainly a practical and green vehicle. However, it needs to be driven with the same attention that we pay in cars or motorcycles. Above all it is necessary to protect pedestrians who are often involved in accidents due to the use of vehicles on sidewalks. According to this study scooter users request the creation of protected lanes such as cycle paths or dedicated areas, which points at a well-known short coming concerning active modes and micro mobility; there is too little space dedicated to them all because space is occupied by the infrastructure for motorised individual modes.
The last paper of this issue of TOTS is a of a clearly different character than all the other ones. It deals with the question whether the implementation of railway lines to connect Ukraine with other Eastern and central European countries is feasible, and what elements need to be considered in order to assess feasibility. The focus is on the economic aspects as a central ingredient of such an analysis and as a possibly decisive basis for decisions concerning cooperation between European partners and, consequently, implementation.
One can summarise that, except for the last paper, most measures to influence mode choice in a sustainable sense are well-known. Alas, the implementation of these measures is usually given low priority. Therefore, as a clear consequence of the papers in this issue, future research should deal more with the question how politics and policy can be influenced with the help of science- and evidencebased measures.

Published: April 1, 2024  Show citation