Modelling Behaviour of Shuttle Service Users and Preference towards a Proposed Bus Rapid Transit Line

This paper analyses the behaviour of university students in their mode selection and their preference towards a proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Karachi, Pakistan. This BRT line, known as Red Line, has a major portion of its route along the University Road. Most of the major higher education institutions of Karachi are located along University Road. A preference survey was conducted from the students to determine individual preferences towards attributes of existing travel modes and the proposed BRT line. The respondents were classified into three categories which included users of private vehicles, public transport, and university shuttle service. The existing literature lacks in behaviour modelling of shuttle service users. This research models the behaviour of shuttle users and compares their behaviour with the commuters of other transport modes. The influencing factors examined in this research included one-way travel time, travel fare, and level of comfort during the travel. The utility model developed in this research shows that students who use private vehicles value travel time more than the other attributes. On the contrary, the commuters of the shuttle service are more sensitive to travel fare. This research shows that the behaviour of shuttle users is significantly different than the other commuters. The multinomial logit (MNL) model was applied to estimate the number of trips expected to transfer to the proposed BRT line. Results show that the shuttle service users will be least influenced by the introduction of BRT, as the shuttle service offers subsidized fares with more convenience. The model developed in this paper can be used by the policymakers to make the BRT more attractive for students and the general public.