Public Transport System and Demand Determinants: A Stakeholders’ Perspective

The research and the debate on public transport is continuously growing for several reasons. On the one hand, institutions aim to improve sustainable forms of mobility and they see public transport (PT) as a key player in this transition. On the other hand, citizens are increasingly conscious of the necessity of a transition towards a sustainable mobility, but they struggle to consider PT, or other transport modes, as an alternative solution to their private vehicles. Moreover, the dynamic context in which PT operates (e.g., city sprawl) further emphasizes the challenges related to its management. Based on these premises, this study investigates the relationship between users and PT, to understand their interactions and how these can be used by the transport operator to promote the use of PT, fostering modal shift. Specific focus is given to the railway service, a capillary and polyvalent system over short and long distances. This study is articulated in a systematic literature review and validation via a questionnaire. First, it provides a quantitative description of the results, highlighting eventual trends; second, it displays a narrative description of the papers considered to map the current relationship and how these are investigated. In addition, a questionnaire conducted by Regione Lombardia is used to validate the identified relationships and understand the needs, assessing which relationships are the most relevant for users. The study highlights the multitude of factors that determine the use of public transport and how each actor involved can manage and influence them. Capillarity, frequency, accessibility, time and cost stand out among the most discussed and investigated ones. This study is a first attempt to classify and extend the existing body of knowledge related to public transport and influencing factors, analysing contributions based on different axes of classification and evaluating them considering on-field data.