Missing the Bus: An assessment of service improvements to metro-bus transfers in Bangkok, Thailand

• Main Author: Cherry, Tristan
• Format: Others
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/974040/1/Cherry_MSc_S2012.pdf; Cherry, Tristan <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Cherry=3ATristan=3A=3A.html> (2012) Missing the Bus: An assessment of service improvements to metro-bus transfers in Bangkok, Thailand. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

Bangkok’s mass transportation systems lack coordination to complement overall quality of service. The relatively new MRT rail rapid transit or “metro” has been built at considerable expense yet operates without any integration for transfers (fare or physical) with the existing and extensive public bus services. Minimizing the burdens of transferring from one vehicle to another is a strategy that many transit agencies in North America and Europe have implemented to retain or attract ridership, but has not been attempted in Bangkok. This thesis identifies specific actions which could improve out-of-vehicle connections between metros and buses in Bangkok, Thailand. The assessment is based on 310 surveys that asked metro passengers to rate importance and satisfaction with specific attributes related to metro-bus transfers. The survey data was used to calibrate Importance/Satisfaction analysis and ordinal regression models to produce a concise list of improvements to service attributes at metro-bus transfers. The study finds that most passengers are unsatisfied with the conditions of intermodal connections. The improvements that would have the greatest impact on transfer experience are increased safety and security from crime and changing the location of bus stops relative to metro exits. Smaller improvements to passenger comfort and amenities are considerably less important to metro users. The findings could be applied to improve intermodal integration between two highly mismatched services to increase public bus ridership.