Prioritization of Attributes Influencing the Commuters' Choice of Inland Water Transport Service

Abstract

The present study aims to identify the priority attributes influencing the mode choice of inland water transport service on the basis of users' perception in Kolkata Metropolitan Area, India. A user perception survey was conducted in the study area to capture the perceived importance of 12 selected attributes based on 5-point Likert scale rating and users' preferences in terms of acceptable ferry service characteristics. Relative to an Identified Distribution (RIDIT) analysis, a multi-attribute decision making technique, has been adopted to identify the important attributes. The analysis reveals several interesting findings which will help the policy-makers to identify the priority areas of interventions in order to increase the attractiveness of one of the sustainable modes of transport. The study will be useful for researchers, policy-makers and transport planners of other regions while identifying the areas of improvement of ferry services.