An Empirical Investigation of Passenger Wait Time Perceptions

Waiting time in bus stops heavily affects traveler attitude towards public transportation and therefore is an important element for consideration when planning and operating a bus system. Furthermore, what passengers perceive as waiting time is often quite different from their actual waiting time at a bus stop. In this context, we present an empirical investigation of actual and perceived waiting times at bus stops for the case of a large bus network, using hazard-based duration models. The analysis is based on a questionnaire survey undertaken at bus stops of the Athens, Greece, bus network. Results indicate that age, trip purpose, and trip time period seem to have an impact on that perception, with older individuals, work, and education trips being factors that increase perceived waiting time and lead to an overestimation of actual waiting, while perceived waiting time decreases during morning time periods