Understanding the older traveller: stop, look and listen!

Getting around would be difficult without roads, rail and pedestrian walkways. Despite what we take for granted, the older traveller is often left feeling frustrated by the current transport infrastructure. Based on their research, Dr Greg Marsden et al explore in this article why this is the case, they look at the barriers that prevent older people getting out and about and the considerations when planning transport for the older traveller

CORRELATION AMONG CAR DEPENDENCY, SOCIAL STATUS AND CAR USE IN JAKARTA

Aims of this research are to determine the prominent factor behind car dependency, examine the correlation between the factors that indicate car dependency, and the correlation between social status and car use in Jakarta. The primary question of this research is “What are the influence factors behind car dependency in Jakarta? Does prestige influence car use behavior in Jakarta?” By using Jakarta as a case study, the research applies Factor Analysis and Logistic Regression Analysis based on Theory of Planned Behavior. It used to measure individual’s behavior based on attitudes toward behavior, subjective norm, and perceive behavior. The result shows that factors of dependency in term of car users consist of the starting place, habits, and control belief. While factors on car dependency for car users on occasion are intention and control belief. Correlation between prestige and car use is identified based on attitudes and subjective norm. For car users, attitudes are influenced by higher degrees of prestige which is slightly contrary to people who use cars occasionally. Other indicators of prestige are car types which can influence people’s behavior in using the car. The conclusion which can be drawn from the results are no significant correlation found between car dependency and social status, but significant in the case of correlation between car use and social status

Understanding walking and cycling:summary of key findings and recommendations

It is widely recognized that there is a need to increase levels of active and sustainable travel in British urban areas. The Understanding Walking and Cycling (UWAC) project, funded by the EPSRC, has examined the factors influencing everyday travel decisions and proposes a series of policy measures to increase levels of walking and cycling for short trips in urban areas. A wide range of both quantitative and qualitative data were collected in four English towns (Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester and Worcester), including a questionnaire survey, spatial analysis of the built environment, interviews (static and whilst mobile) and detailed ethnographies. Key findings of the research are that whilst attitudes to walking and cycling are mostly positive or neutral, many people who would like to engage in more active travel fail to do so due to a combination of factors. These can be summarised as: Concerns about the physical environment, especially with regard to safety when walking or cycling; The difficulty of fitting walking and cycling into complex household routines (especially with young children); The perception that walking and cycling are in some ways abnormal things to do. It is suggested that policies to increase levels of walking and cycling should focus not only on improving infrastructure (for instance through fully segregated cycle routes along main roads and restriction on vehicle speeds), but also must tackle broader social, economic, cultural and legal factors that currently inhibit walking and cycling. Together, such changes can create an environment in which driving for short trips in urban areas is seen as abnormal and walking or cycling seem the obvious choices. A joint project by by Lancaster University, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Leeds

Accommodating underlying pro-environmental attitudes in a rail travel context: application of a latent variable latent class specification

Using data from a stated preference survey conducted in the UK, we show how the relative importance that rail travellers attach to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and faster journey times varies strongly as a function of underlying attitudes towards the environment. We specify a latent class structure that allocates respondents to two classes with substantially different valuations of greenhouse gas emissions, and show how the allocation of a given respondent to either class is a function of underlying attitudes that also drive the answers to a number of attitudinal questions. We also show how these underlying attitudes are a function of a number of socio-demographic characteristics, with female respondents, older respondents, and respondents with a university degree having a stronger pro-environmental attitude, with the opposite applying to respondents with regular car access

Travelling to a sport event: Profiling sport fans against the Transtheoretical Model of Change

This article profiles the travel behaviour of sport fans against the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) and its application to sport events. Using the four constructs of the TTM, we distributed a self-reporting survey to sport fans prior to home fixtures. There is some synergy with the theorised stages of change and processes of change in this context. Notwithstanding, the results show a high level of commitment to others in the early stages of change - a movement away from the prescribed theory. Results from decisional balance and self-efficacy items reaffirm the congruence with theory and the application of the TTM to sport fans and their travel behaviour. These results assess the application of a stage-based model of change within a sport event context; it provides an exploration of the antecedents of behaviour change indicators relevant to sport fans, thus enabling policy makers to make informed decisions about future travel behaviour change

Understanding travel behaviour change during mega-events: Lessons from the London 2012 Games

This paper presents results from a longitudinal study of the travel behaviour change associated with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the ‘Games’). The research examines commuter travel behaviour through a panel approach enabling an understanding of individual behaviour across three waves (before, during and after), with the study utilising unique access to a Transport for London panel study (n=1132). The findings indicate that a substantial amount of change occurred during the Games (54% made at least one change), with reducing or re-timing journeys being the most likely adaptations made. A key objective of this work was to advance the discussion about the theoretical constructs that are most applicable in the study of behaviour change associated with disruptive events, which was done through the application and critical evaluation of the Transtheoretical Model. The insights from the stages of change element of the model were relatively limited but the analysis shows significant differences in the underlying factors explaining change according to the type of change made (reduce, re-time, re-mode and re-route). Whilst the long-term behavioural impacts of events like the Games appear small, the study has uncovered a need to consider these behavioural choices as distinct rather than under the collective term of “travel behaviour change”, as is current practice

Reducing car use : the role of the theory of planned behaviour

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The expression of anger while driving – The role of personality and self-consciousness in a sample of Chinese drivers

Driving anger among Chinese drivers is common leading to aggressive and risky driving behaviours and potentially increasing involvement in road collisions. This study adopted an online survey to explore the relationship between personality, self-consciousness and driving anger expression. 559 participants completed a questionnaire consisting of the Driving Anger Scale (14-item DAS), the short version of the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (15 item DAX), the Brief HEXACO Inventory (BHI), and the Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded a reliable and valid three-factor structure of the Chinese 15 item DAX, labelled as “Adaptive Expression”, “Verbal Expression” and “Physical and Vehicle Expression”. Physical and Vehicle expression of anger was reported more by males and by experienced drivers compared to females and novice drivers. Traffic offenders showed more inclination towards exhibiting verbal anger expression than non-traffic offenders. In terms of dispositional traits, Humility-Honesty had a negative effect on both verbal expression and physical and vehicle expression. However, private self-consciousness was related to an increase in verbal expression and physical and vehicle expression. Importantly, Humility-Honesty and private self-consciousness moderated the relationship between trait driving anger and non-adaptive anger expressions in opposite ways. The findings could provide some support for the development of strategies to mitigate driving anger in China

The development of an option generation tool to identify potential transport policy packages

While techniques for identifying urban transport problems, predicting the effects of possible solutions and appraising their performance are well developed, there is a significant gap in the decision-making chain relating to the generation of those possible solutions. A literature review has identified a number of option generation methods in other sectors, which are of potential application to transport. It categorises them into 'inside the box' methods, which are principally quantitative and draw on a pre-existing list of solutions, and 'outside the box' methods, which are more qualitative but potentially better able to generate wholly novel solutions. It also distinguishes between applications at the levels of formulation of an overall strategy and of detailed design of a particular scheme. An 'inside the box' method for strategy option generation has been developed building on the capabilities of an existing web-based knowledgebase, KonSULT. The design principles are described and potential further developments outlined.Option generation Transport policy packages Strategy Web-based knowledgebase