Assessment of Public Transport Usage in Japanese Rural Areas with Long-term Smart Card Data

Abstract

The sustainability of national transport systems rests to a large degree on public transportation. Although both supply and demand sides of public transportation are analyzed as part of ongoing performance monitoring, little information is available on the routine of using public transport in rural areas to assess customers’ loyalty. In this study, analysis of usage, trip rate, survival profiles, and other travel demand characteristics of public ridership in Kochi city is carried out through smart card data (SCD) gathered over a ten-year period. The findings in relation to the stability of individual customer behavior generate insights for planners and operators in the public transport sector in relation to assessing the mobility variability and better preparing their operation plans. Moreover, a public transport prediction model is developed based on SCD, which, when connected to a transport network, offers useful insights to operators in regard to the potential impact of small changes.