Uncovering motivations for innovation in urban commuting: A segmentation of Jakarta’s motorcyclists

Urban commuting in Jakarta, Indonesia, remains heavily reliant on motorcycles, yet riders exhibit diverse travel behaviors and underlying motivations. Drawing on survey data from 1143 commuters from Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi to Jakarta, this study first applies latent class cluster analysis to identify four distinct user segments: solo, regular medium-distance academic commuters; solo, regular medium-distance work commuters; solo, regular long-distance work commuters; and accompanied, occasional long-distance social/recreational commuters. This study then employs the Rasch model to quantify each group’s latent motivational drivers across twelve functional and psychosocial factors. Results indicate that support for unplanned trips is the strongest motivator for academic and long-distance work riders; ease of navigation underpins choices by academic, medium-distance work, and recreational commuters; traffic-congestion avoidance drives academic and recreational users; departure-time flexibility is paramount for medium-distance workers; and personal independence ranks highest for long-distance workers. By contrast, predictable travel time, perceived safety, and limited public-transport coverage consistently rank as weak motivators across all segments. Based on these insights, this study recommends tailored and innovative interventions, such as app-based microtransit for on-demand flexibility, park-and-ride facilities for long-distance commuters, last-mile e-micromobility services for medium-distance users, and integrated campus-shuttle systems for students, complemented by enhanced real-time information and targeted safety measures. Collectively, these strategies aim to match motorcycles’ core advantages while guiding riders toward more sustainable, multimodal options.