Färdmedelsvalets komplexa förutsättningar : En studie av arbetspendling i småbarnshushåll med Kils kommun som exempel

Gottfridsson, H. O., 2007, Färdmedelsvalets komplexa förutsättningar – En studie av arbetspendling i småbarnshushåll med Kils kommun som exempel, (Complex conditions governing choice of transport – A study of parents of young children commuting to work from the municipality of Kil). Travel is a means through which people fulfil a variety of social and biological requirements. In turn, the purpose, destination and identity of the traveller set different requirements that different forms of transport have different opportunities of fulfilling. The purpose of this dissertation is to find out about the complex conditions that form the scope for action in the choice of transport, in this particular case for parents of young children when travelling to and from work. The dissertation emphasises the importance of studying the whole picture and of the interchange between the component parts in order to gain a better understanding of the conditions governing a commuter’s choice of transport. In the study a theoretical framework of reference is gradually established by mixing empiricism and theory. As a result, a number of factors significant for the transport selection process are identified. These factors include the composition and organisation of the household, transport system structures, local community structures and the resources and preferences of the commuter. Several methods were used during the collection of data. Data about commuters was collected via surveys and travel diaries. Traffic systems and associated structures were studied with the help of maps. Work requirements combined with local structures such as the location of the home, workplace and services, and how the household chooses to organise daily activities, place specific demands on the planning of the journey to and from work. Different transport systems meet these demands in varying degrees. The choice of transport is also determined by the commuter’s socio-economic situation, travel resources and how he or she, depending on motives, knowledge and habits finally perceives the alternatives available. The results confirm that car users and public transport users have different strategies when choosing transport. The results also indicate that there are commuters who declare the same grounds for their choice of transport, but who in practice conclude different consequences and choose different means of transport. The data also indicates clearly that among users of public transport there are major differences in journey times, number of stops, distance to bus stops and travel costs, and that commuters who use public transport are more complex as a group