Changing the Mindset: How Public Transport Can Become More User Centered

Abstract

There is a growing demand for public transport. It provides sustainable mobility that tackles air pollution and climate change as well as adapts to the needs of the elderly, commuters and a growing urban population. However, in order to become a real alternative for the car and to attract other customer groups as well as retain existing passengers, public transport needs to be improved and become more user centered. A user-centric public transport system contains three aspects: a strong(er) focus on customer satisfaction is needed; it is necessary to research customer satisfaction thoroughly and have a closer look at different perceptions of service quality of various customer groups; and the involvement of users in the design, planning and implementation of public transport services is important. Some examples, best practices and outcome of various user-centric approaches in Europe and elsewhere are described in this article.