Assessing the Inertia Effects in Modal Shift of Commuters to Public Transport: A Case of Chennai

A growing proportion of privately owned vehicles is increasing congestion in our cities today. To reduce the dependency on private vehicles there is a need to study the inertia effects of shifting to public transport despite good accessibility. This research focused on identifying the reasons behind the reluctance to use public transport among the residents of Chennai in areas with high public transport accessibility. Areas with high accessibility to public transport were identified using the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) analysis. The questionnaire was created using travel behavior variables such as primary mode, residence location, age, employment type, gender, number of family members, presence of children, income, household tenancy, vehicle ownership, travel expense, trip length, travel time, distance to bus stop, safety and comfort. Revealed preference surveys were conducted across five wards in Chennai. Multinomial Logistic regression was further used to identify mode-wise inertia effects. The variables such as income, gender, trip length, vehicle ownership, travel time, presence of children, and travel expense have a significant impact in using public transport. The analysis of the study was further used to provide policy recommendations and develop a demand-responsive transit model to provide doorstep services and enhance the efficiency of public transport.