Stated Preference Analysis of Bus Service Attributes in Phnom Penh: Preliminary Findings from Pilot Survey
   

Meng Hong UNG
Department of Civil Engineering
Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok 10330, THAILAND

Kasem CHOOCHARUKUL
Department of Civil Engineering
Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok 10330, THAILAND

   
   
ABSTRACT

Current transportation system in Phnom Penh indicates a lack of proper public transportation. With a large number of motorcycles, traffic congestion within the city is getting worse. In addition, a formal public transport such as bus service is not yet available in the city at the moment, although it can be considered a sustainable transportation mode and can potentially reduce the traffic congestion in the city. In order to introduce an efficient bus service, passengers’ attitude towards bus service attributes is one of the main issues. In this study, a methodology was developed to elucidate the commuters’ attitude towards the bus service in Phnom Penh via stated preference analysis. A pilot survey was conducted to collect the current travel information and decision behaviors of respondents regarding bus patronage considering several bus service attributes, namely, basic fare, additional fare per kilometer, walking distance, waiting time, and comfort. A utility model was developed using conditional logistic regression and the passengers’ trade-offs between each attribute were analyzed. As a result, it was found that two attributes, i.e. bus comfort and fare, were among the most significant attributes for commuters in Phnom Penh. The findings of this research are expected to further the understanding of passengers’ viewpoint on basic attributes of the bus service and the results can be used as a fundament in a strategic planning for establishing the bus service in the city of Phnom Penh.

   
   
KEYWORDS: Bus Service,  Phnom Penh, Stated Preference Analysis, Bus Attributes, Logistic Regression
   
       
  © Copyright 2008, K. Choocharukul, Last Updated: June 25, 2008 .