Trip characteristics as the determinants of intention to shift to rail transport among private motor vehicle users in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Introduction This study aims to understand the trip characteristics of private and public transport users in Kuala Lumpur, and the intention of private motor vehicle users to shift to rail transport if available. Method We conducted a travel survey in the corridor of an upcoming mass rapid transit line in Kuala Lumpur. We then analyse the characteristics of the trips recorded from the survey on a weekday and weekend. We used binary logistic regression to find the association between the trip characteristics and the intention to shift from private motor vehicles to rail transport if available. Results There were less than 15% of public transport users among the survey respondents. However, 48% of the weekday trips and 39% of the weekend trips were intended to shift to rail transport if available. Regression for the weekday trips showed that trip duration, distance, purpose, vehicle occupancy, and presence of child passengers were significantly associated with the intention to shift. For weekend trips, only the trip duration and presence of child passengers were significantly associated with the intention to shift. Conclusion This study shows that the population\u27s intention to shift from private motor vehicle to rail transport could be influenced by the trip characteristics