IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i20p8741-d1495488.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving the Door-To-Door Customer Journey for a National Public Transport Company

Author

Listed:
  • Fintan Kennedy

    (Iarnród Éireann: Irish Rail, Connolly Station, D01 V6V6 Dublin, Ireland
    DesignCORE, Humanities, South East Technological University, R93 V960 Carlow, Ireland)

  • P.J. White

    (DesignCORE, Humanities, South East Technological University, R93 V960 Carlow, Ireland)

  • Hilary Dempsey

    (DesignCORE, Humanities, South East Technological University, R93 V960 Carlow, Ireland)

Abstract

(1) Background: Public transport has a vital role to play in creating sustainable, accessible societies. Accessible and inclusive, door-to-door public transport systems with low barriers to use benefit everyone, increasing the mobility of citizens and improving independence. As the industry strives towards multi-modal and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) concepts, there is a need to delve deep into the needs and perceptions of transport user’s door-to-door journeys to find ways to improve. Accordingly, in order to increase the sustainability of MaaS, improving accessibility and understanding service user perceptions are of utmost importance. However, there is a scarcity of research within national transport services to determine unmet user needs to increase the accessibility and autonomy of door-to-door journeys. This research aims to investigate if it is possible to improve the door-to-door journey experience for public transport travellers, increasing the accessibility and the perception of autonomy via technology, and by doing so, providing a more sustainable alternative to road transport. It focuses on understanding service users of Ireland’s National Rail service, Irish Rail, to create key improvements in interactive systems. (2) Methods: The study applies a user-centred mixed-methods methodology using surveys (N = 316) and co-design workshops (four workshops N = 15). The research collected deep insights into the mindsets and needs of service users, showing the potential to improve this door-to-the-door customer journey. Key improvements for interactive systems were outlined. Experience maps were designed, leading to a Conceptual Design for a travel assistant to aid the service user throughout the door-to-door journey. (3) Results: Travellers’ autonomy and the sense of freedom they experience can be improved, mainly if their needs across the complete door-to-door customer journey are supported. Highlighted areas for action include information, accessibility, personal security, ticketing, comfort, facilities, and anxiety. (4) Conclusions: This research reiterates the need for national transport and MaaS providers to prioritise service users’ perspectives when developing sustainable services. Co-designing is recommended as a means of achieving this.

Suggested Citation

  • Fintan Kennedy & P.J. White & Hilary Dempsey, 2024. "Improving the Door-To-Door Customer Journey for a National Public Transport Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:20:p:8741-:d:1495488
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/8741/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/8741/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Enoch, Marcus & Potter, Stephen, 2023. "MaaS (Mobility as a Service) market futures explored," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 31-40.
    2. Ingvardson, Jesper Bláfoss & Nielsen, Otto Anker, 2018. "How urban density, network topology and socio-economy influence public transport ridership: Empirical evidence from 48 European metropolitan areas," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 50-63.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vigren, Andreas & Pyddoke, Roger, 2020. "The impact on bus ridership of passenger incentive contracts in public transport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 144-159.
    2. Nikitas, Alexandros & Cotet, Corneliu & Vitel, Alexandra-Elena & Nikitas, Nikolaos & Prato, Carlo, 2024. "Transport stakeholders’ perceptions of Mobility-as-a-Service: A Q-study of cultural shift proponents, policy advocates and technology supporters," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    3. Aston, Laura & Currie, Graham & Kamruzzaman, Md. & Delbosc, Alexa & Brands, Ties & van Oort, Niels & Teller, David, 2021. "Multi-city exploration of built environment and transit mode use: Comparison of Melbourne, Amsterdam and Boston," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Jean-Philippe Meloche & Vincent Trotignon & François Vaillancourt, 2021. "Densification ou prolongement des réseaux de transport structurants ? Une recension des écrits sur les coûts et les bénéfices attendus," CIRANO Project Reports 2020rp-28, CIRANO.
    5. Teoh, Roger & Anciaes, Paulo & Jones, Peter, 2020. "Urban mobility transitions through GDP growth: Policy choices facing cities in developing countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    6. Gao, Fan & Yang, Linchuan & Han, Chunyang & Tang, Jinjun & Li, Zhitao, 2022. "A network-distance-based geographically weighted regression model to examine spatiotemporal effects of station-level built environments on metro ridership," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    7. Chen, Junlan & Pu, Ziyuan & Guo, Xiucheng & Cao, Jieyu & Zhang, Fang, 2023. "Multiperiod metro timetable optimization based on the complex network and dynamic travel demand," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 611(C).
    8. Ye, Jianhong & Zheng, Jiaqi, 2024. "How stakeholders influence MaaS implementation? An analysis based on evolutionary game theory," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 198-210.
    9. Jesper Bláfoss Ingvardson & Otto Anker Nielsen, 2022. "The influence of vicinity to stations, station characteristics and perceived safety on public transport mode choice: a case study from Copenhagen," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 459-480, June.
    10. Audronė Minelgaitė & Renata Dagiliūtė & Genovaitė Liobikienė, 2020. "The Usage of Public Transport and Impact of Satisfaction in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-13, November.
    11. Gascon, Mireia & Marquet, Oriol & Gràcia-Lavedan, Esther & Ambròs, Albert & Götschi, Thomas & Nazelle, Audrey de & Panis, Luc Int & Gerike, Regine & Brand, Christian & Dons, Evi & Eriksson, Ulf & Iaco, 2020. "What explains public transport use? Evidence from seven European cities," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 362-374.
    12. Georgios Georgiadis & Ioannis Politis & Panagiotis Papaioannou, 2020. "How Does Operational Environment Influence Public Transport Effectiveness? Evidence from European Urban Bus Operators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-19, June.
    13. Riccardo Ceccato & Andrea Baldassa & Federico Orsini & Riccardo Rossi & Massimiliano Gastaldi, 2023. "MaaS Adoption and Sustainability for Systematic Trips: Estimation of Environmental Impacts in a Medium-Sized City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-14, May.
    14. Jiaoe Wang & Yanan Li & Jingjuan Jiao & Haitao Jin & Fangye Du, 2023. "Bus ridership and its determinants in Beijing: A spatial econometric perspective," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 383-406, April.
    15. Su, Shiliang & Zhao, Chong & Zhou, Hao & Li, Bozhao & Kang, Mengjun, 2022. "Unraveling the relative contribution of TOD structural factors to metro ridership: A novel localized modeling approach with implications on spatial planning," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    16. Enoch, M.P. & Cross, R. & Potter, N. & Davidson, C. & Taylor, S. & Brown, R. & Huang, H. & Parsons, J. & Tucker, S. & Wynne, E. & Grieg, D. & Campbell, G. & Jackson, A. & Potter, S., 2020. "Future local passenger transport system scenarios and implications for policy and practice," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 52-67.
    17. Jurkowski Wojciech & Smolarski Mateusz, 2021. "The influence of transport offer on passenger traffic in the railway transport system in a post-socialist country: case study of Poland," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 53(53), pages 33-42, September.
    18. Jiangyue Wu & Jiangping Zhou & Hanxi Ma, 2022. "Revisiting the valuable locales in our cities? Visualizing social interaction potential around metro station areas in Wuhan, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(3), pages 433-436, May.
    19. Yang, Chao & Yu, Chengcheng & Dong, Wentao & Yuan, Quan, 2023. "Substitutes or complements? Examining effects of urban rail transit on bus ridership using longitudinal city-level data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    20. Yu, Chengcheng & Dong, Wentao & Liu, Yunhao & Yang, Chao & Yuan, Quan, 2024. "Rethinking bus ridership dynamics: Examining nonlinear effects of determinants on bus ridership changes using city-level panel data from 2010 to 2019," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 85-100.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:20:p:8741-:d:1495488. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.