Factors Affecting Public Transportation Ridership in a High-Income Developing Country

In rich developing countries, the increased rate of car use has major implications in terms of pollution, noise, and congestion problems. One of the main solutions to these problems is to find ways to promote the use of other transportation modes. The first step in this process is identifying the factors affecting the use of these modes. In Qatar, a major bus service was introduced to address the fast-growing transportation demands in urban areas. This study was initiated to explore the factors influencing public bus ridership in Qatar. The goal is to understand the influence of various attributes at the stop level of the existing public buses. Multiple linear regression models were developed to identify the parameters that significantly influence stop level boarding and alighting. The results indicate that land use and population parameters were significantly affecting the existing bus ridership in Qatar. The population parameters include the number of persons available in the catchment area for residing, working, visiting restaurants, and shopping purposes. Land use parameters include the number of shopping places, number of restaurants, and number of mosques. This information can help policymakers and public authorities to develop policies and plans to increase bus usage in Qatar.