Addressing Perceived Insecurity in Public Transportation: A PLS-SEM Approach

The sense of insecurity and fear of crime associated with public transportation are disadvantages that can deter individuals from using public transportation. We propose a methodology based on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine perceptions of insecurity among public transportation users in the Gran Valparaíso area and how these perceptions have influenced the corporate image of the services. To do so, we conducted a survey to assess perceptions of insecurity in situations involving harassment, crime, threatening social environments, crowded and isolated environments, and corporate image. Additionally, we considered gender and previous experiences of victimization in public transportation as moderating factors to identify significant differences among these groups. The main factor influencing the corporate image of buses and the metro is insecurity based on harassment. In terms of gender, women have a heightened perception of insecurity in crowded settings, influencing their feelings of insecurity based on harassment. Meanwhile, men’s apprehension mainly relates to crime and is due to isolated environments.