Travel Behaviour and Society· 2026Q1
Who perceives access? Disparities in satisfaction with public transport availability and associations with perceived accessibility in the Netherlands
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Frequent public transport users in the Netherlands report higher perceived accessibility when satisfied with availability, unlike occasional users. Low-income individuals, those with mobility restrictions, and rural residents show lower satisfaction and perceived accessibility, especially low-income occasional users.
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Key points
- Frequent public transport users' perceived accessibility increases with their satisfaction with availability.
- Low-income individuals, those with mobility restrictions, and rural residents report lower satisfaction with public transport availability.
- Low-income occasional public transport users experience the most significant disparities in satisfaction and perceived accessibility.
- Linear regression models were used to analyze associations between sociodemographic, spatial, and travel-behavioral characteristics and perceived accessibility.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Accessible public transport is important for meeting daily mobility needs and supporting activity participation, particularly among vulnerable groups. Understanding how different population groups perceive access to public transport is critical in addressing transport-related social exclusion. This study examines the single and combined associations between sociodemographic, spatial, and travel-behavioural characteristics with satisfaction with public availability and examines how the combination of these factors relate to overall perceived accessibility. Given that the frequency of public transport use may also influence perceptions of accessibility, we further examine how the relationship between satisfaction with public transport availability and overall perceived accessibility varies according to frequency of public transport use and different socio-spatial factors, through interaction terms. Linear regression models were conducted to examine these relationships using empirical data collected from a sample of 3378 respondents from the Netherlands. Our findings indicate that frequency of public transport use moderates the association between satisfaction with public transport availability and overall perceived accessibility, with frequent public transport users reporting higher overall accessibility with higher levels of satisfaction with public transport availability. Additionally, low-income individuals, having mobility restrictions and residing in rural areas are negatively associated with satisfaction with public transport availability and overall perceived accessibility. These associations are especially pronounced among low-income occasional users, who report lower levels of satisfaction with public transport availability. The findings suggest that improving public transport accessibility for low- income and occasional public transport users can help reduce mobility gaps and contribute to addressing transport-related social exclusion outcomes.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Travel Behaviour and Society, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Transportation
TransportationSocial Sciences