ANALYSIS OF COMMUTERS' PERCEPTIONS ABOUT CARPOOLING SERVICE: A CASE STUDY IN LAHORE

The increase in urban population and private vehicle ownership has resulted in traffic congestion on road networks. The traffic congestion tends to increase social cost in terms of increased travel delays, road crashes and environmental pollution. Traffic congestion also increases the generalized travel cost of road users. There is a need to look for alternative travel options to ensure sustainable development of the society and transportation infrastructure. This study aims to identify the significant relationships between the socio-economic demographics (SEDs) of the travelers and their intentions with carpooling. The data was collected with the help of a questionnaire survey. This survey was conducted in Lahore city and three hundred and ninety four samples were obtained. The data was analyzed using frequency analysis and ordered probit regression analysis. The results revealed that the traveler’s marital status, education, daily trip distance, current travel mode, household income, car ownership and possession of a driving license had a significant influence on their willingness to adopt a carpooling alternative. Besides the trip, purpose of carpooling and the number of persons with whom to share a ride had significant correlations with carpooling. These significant attributes implicate that travelers’ specific characteristics play an important role in their decision to carpool. Carpooling programs are required to design, seeking the significant characteristics of travelers in the context of Lahore city as well as in other regions. These findings provide useful information to the transport planners and decision-makers in designing the transportation policies related to carpooling strategies.