Identifying city bus passenger ridership patterns: a mixed-method analysis

Abstract

Purpose

This study uses big data analysis aimed at discovering city bus passenger ridership patterns. Hence, marketing managers can get sufficient insights to formulate effective business plans and make timely decisions about company operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed-method analysis to analyze the results. First uses the RFM (recency, frequency, and monetary) model combined with a big data technique (K-means) to analyze bus passenger boarding behavior. In order to improve the validity and quality of the research, this study also conducted interviews with senior managers of the bus company from which the data was obtained.

Findings

The study identifies six distinct groups of passengers with different boarding behaviors, ranging from “general passengers” to “most valuable passengers”. General passengers constituted the largest group. As such, they should be the main target for municipal governments when promoting bus ridership as part of energy conservation and carbon-reduction activities. This group of passengers should be encouraged to take public transport vehicles more, instead of relying on personal vehicles. The fourth group identified included elderly passengers with hospitals as their destinations. Bus companies can cooperate with municipal government to provide morning “medical bus” services for the elderly. Interviews with bus company managers confirmed that the analytical results of this study correspond with the observations, experiences, and actual business operating plans of bus companies.

Originality/value

Only few studies have analyzed passengers' boarding behavior applying a mixed-method analysis.