The choice of the passenger

People want to get from A to B as quickly as possible, according to research into the desires of the travelling public. The shorter the door to door journey, the better. Regarding public transport use, passengers do not spend the majority of their travel time on the tram, bus or train; rather, most of their time is spent travelling to and from stops (the so-called access and egress time), and waiting and changing lines.

In order to reduce as much as possible the travel time spent off of the transport mode, the majority of travelers prefer frequent over dense: passengers prefer higher frequency public transport lines, and, moreover, they are willing to walk longer distances to such stops than is currently deemed acceptable. Or they will simply cycle to the transport stop. High frequency public transport also provides passengers with greater certitude and ease of use. A network with higher frequency but less density is not only faster on average for most travelers but also less expensive to operate. For example, e-bikes, mobility scooters, personalized ridesharing and door-to-door services are already part of dense transport networks, which are of particular importance for the approximately 6 percent of passengers who have difficulty walking or cycling relatively longer distances. In the longer term, self-driving cars may also play a role.

These are the conclusions of a literature analysis that the KiM Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis has compiled in an animated video. The Directorate General for Accessibility: Public Transport and Railways administration (DGB-OVenS) commissioned KiM to conduct research into the desires of the travelling public, as the government wants passengers to be the main focus of public transport policy.