The Paradox of Urban Travel Behavior on Public Transport Use: A Bibliometric and Critical Theoretical Review

Abstract The fundamental aim of transport policies especially on public transport is to get the most ridership by meeting the demands of users. The study provides a holistic view of public transport use by understanding the integration of the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Random Utility Theory (RUT). A bibliometric and systematic literature search and review approach was used to identify, evaluate, and synthesize all relevant research on urban travel behavior and public transport use. The paper followed the PRISMA guidelines to ensure the transparency and reproducibility of the review process. The application of the guideline helped in the selection of 78 articles to understand public transport use, behaviors, and rationality taking into account the TPB and the RUT. It emerged from both theory’s tenets that public transport rationality actions are made, based on some inherent conditionalities that influence urban travel behavior. The model shows that the constructs of the TPB are a good predictor of travel intentions, but it does not fully explain actual travel behavior because it does not take into account RUT constructs. Based on the results, the study proposes an integrated system for transport and travel behavior that seeks to understand the rationality (conscious and unconscious actions) of transport users through the clarification of relationships between TPB and RUT constructs. The understanding of the model can helpfully predict how transport users will make decisions based on conscious and unconscious actions, which can help policymakers develop better policies for sustainable transport.