Analyzing the acceptance of new public transportation pricing schemes: A case study of a developing country

Abstract

Globally, efforts are underway to encourage the use of sustainable transportation modes over private cars. Well-designed transit fare settings can significantly contribute to the development of sustainable, equitable, and efficient public transportation systems. This study aims to: (1) Assess respondents’ acceptance of a new transit pricing scheme, (2) Analyze changes in travel behavior resulting from various fare elements (e.g., flat, distance-based, or time-based fares), and (3) Identify influential factors using discrete choice models and stated preference surveys. Based on 808 observations, the binary logit model's estimation reveals that socioeconomic factors (such as car ownership, driving license possession, gender, age, and occupation) and travel-related factors (such as departure time, trip purpose, travel cost, waiting time, and number of stations traveled by transit) significantly affect the acceptability of the new pricing scheme. Additionally, the multinomial logit model indicates how the new pricing scheme influences travel behavior (modal shift, no modal shift, and changes in departure time or destination) and identifies significant determinants. The insights gained from this research can help policymakers develop more effective and sustainable transportation policies tailored to the needs of diverse urban populations.