Breaking the drive: Leveraging demand-responsive buses to transform first-mile and last-mile commute behaviour

Abstract

The study investigates a conversion-oriented intervention aimed at reducing single occupancy vehicle (SOV) usage in urban commutes by introducing a demand responsive bus (DRBus) service, which addresses the first-mile and last-mile (FMLM) mobility challenges commonly faced by commuters. The research initially involved a preliminary focus group with 20 participants, followed by an online survey of 344 SOV drivers across two cohorts, specifically targeting working adults and university/college students on Penang Island to evaluate their willingness to shift from SOVs to shared mode. The results demonstrate that features of e-booking, ease of use, and service information significantly enhance the implementation intention to try DRBus, while e-booking, ease of use, and service reliability play a pivotal role in reducing the perceived walking distance to bus stops. The findings further reveal that in-vehicle travel time (IVT) and the number of bus interchanges (NBI) are the key moderators in the relationship between walking distance and their implementation intention to try DRBus. Specifically, shorter walking distances were found to increase the likelihood of adoption; however, this effect diminished as IVT and NBI increased, emphasising the critical role of travel efficiency in influencing commuter behaviour. The findings suggest that behaviour change interventions for sustainable mobility should focus on route optimisation and profile strategies based on age and occupational context rather than gender. This study unveils strategic pathways for optimising the efficiency of DRBus, offering valuable insights for advancing sustainable urban mobility solutions.