Innovative tool to measure passenger experience for entire public transport journeys
Data on the transit experience of services is continually collected to better understand the preferences, expectations and opinions of users. However, no such information exists that considers a passenger's journey from the start to the final destination. With EU funding, the METPEX (A measurement tool to determine the quality of the passenger experience) project devised solutions that will provide reliable information to transport providers, policymakers and local government on the complete journey. METPEX focused on women, travellers with children or other dependents, the elderly, young people, rural dwellers, commuters, low-income groups, and people with communication difficulties and mobility impairments. Project partners developed a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for transport operators and authorities, local authorities and other interest groups to measure the quality of the whole journey experience. To capture the multimodal experience offered by buses, trains, trams, urban waterways, walking, cycling and driving, they measured travel experiences from planning to final arrival. Over 1 000 factors were evaluated in developing the KPIs. The most promising factors for each transport mode, traveller type and quality were used to create measurement instruments delivered to travellers in paper-based and digital formats, game and navigation apps, and focus groups. Two pan-European surveys were carried out to develop the final KPIs. Findings show that overall travel satisfaction is dependent on user needs, and this satisfaction varies depending on the main travel modes and complexity of the journey concerning planning. Insecurity and tension among special needs travellers in particular may hurt their confidence to travel independently. Using the results as a basis, the METPEX team devised a series of robust KPIs to measure overall satisfaction, or different aspects of the journey for various users and transport modes. METPEX outcomes can enhance the quality of the transport experience by delivering integrated, sustainable transport solutions. The vision is a high-quality, user-centred and inclusive public transport service that attracts and keeps users.
Keywords
Passenger experience, public transport, METPEX, whole journey experience, travel satisfaction
