The impact of mobile real-time bus arrival information on passenger’s waiting time perception and travel experience

Abstract

With the advancement in technology, mobile applications with real-time bus arrival information becomes easily achievable for individuals in a city. Passengers are not required to read the real-time information from the displayed boards at bus stops, but they can access to the information on their own mobile phones. Many international cities have implemented such technology and related studies showed its positive impacts on overall travel experience of passengers and benefits for public transit operators. However, it has been adopted in Hong Kong for few years only and there are no any related studies for evaluating the impacts of mobile real-time bus arrival information. This study aims to discover the user pattern in Hong Kong and to examine the benefits of mobile real-time bus arrival information for passengers and bus operators as to improve their travel experience and service quality respectively, as well as to examine the impacts of bus stop environment as a subordinate objective. This dissertation has reviewed the current situation of mobile application usage with realtime bus information and the concepts regarding waiting time perception and travel experience affected by mobile app with real-time bus information. Interview survey has been conducted at different types of bus stops to retrieve data from passengers in Hong Kong. These data was further analysed to identify the impacts of mobile apps, it is found that mobile apps with real-time bus information and bus stop environment offer positive impacts on passengers. It concludes by providing recommendations on developments of mobile apps and bus stops for bus operators and the government. Although this study provides a general picture only, it aims to stimulate more attention for further research on mobile-real bus information in Hong Kong.