Perceived degree of crowding and quality of public transportation: The importance of including the third gender

Abstract

In order to achieve a significant shift from private cars to public transportation (PT), the latter has to be tailored to the needs of all passengers. In this large-scale study (N = 2071) the correlation between perceived degree of crowding (PDC) of PT and quality aspects of the trip (e.g. safety and comfort) was investigated. The survey was conducted using QR codes displayed in PT vehicles in the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg. Participants provided demographic information and rated PDC as well as the quality of the trip. Results showed a medium to high correlation (r = 0.3 to r = 0.7) for PDC with all items of the trip evaluation. Multivariate regression analysis showed that PDC had by far the greatest influence on the trip evaluation items with 53% explained variance. Gender analyses with three statistically matched groups (male, female, non-binary) of equal size (N = 89) revealed that persons who identified as non-binary perceived PT trips as less safe, less pleasant and more stressful than the other groups. The relevance of considering the views and needs of so far under-researched groups is highlighted by the results.