ASSESSING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PREFERENCE: AN ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS APPROACH

As urbanization keeps growing, the demand for efficient and sustainable conscious transportation solutions increases. Public transportation systems are essential since they provide alternatives to driving a private vehicle. Policymakers and transportation planners must comprehend the factors influencing people’s preferences for public transit. This study employs Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach to identify and rank the major variables determining preference towards public transportation. This research makes use of a structured questionnaire survey administered to a diverse sample of commuters from various demographic segments. The respondents are asked to rank the several factors including travel cost, travel time, frequency, reliability, transit station condition and various service quality attributes, based on their importance in influencing their choice of transportation mode. Through pairwise comparisons and mathematical computations facilitated by AHP, the relative weights of each criterion are determined, providing insights into their significance in shaping public transportation preference.The study findings contribute to improving the effectiveness of public transportation planning and policy design by highlighting areas for development. Authorities can encourage more use of public transit by aligning transportation services and infrastructure to commuters needs and preferences thus, mitigating traffic congestion, reduce carbon emissions and promoting sustainable urban mobility.