Evaluating multimodal integration of metro and feeder bus services in Bengaluru using integrated analytical and perception based methods

• The increases in private vehicle ownership in India's cities have increased the traffic congestion and pollution. • The integration of transport systems would increase the utilization and efficiency of public transportation. • This research evaluates the existing level of integration between metro rail and feeder bus services. Rapid urban growth in Bengaluru has increased the need for well-integrated metro rail and feeder bus systems to improve accessibility and support sustainable urban mobility. This study aimed to assess the current level of integration and identify priority strategies for improvement using a combination of quantitative and perception-based methods. Data were collected through structured surveys at three major metro stations such as Baiyappanahalli, Majestic and Yeshwantpur covering commuter perceptions across 18 service indicators. The Sustainability Integration Index (SII) showed that Majestic station achieved the highest integration score (77.23%), followed by Baiyappanahalli (72.42%) and Yeshwantpur (65.04%). Policy analysis indicated that increasing bus frequency produced the greatest improvement in integration (+4.66%). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified seven latent factors explaining 70.41% of the variance in perceptions, with frequency, reliability, and safety emerging as the most influential dimensions. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) revealed that while speed and reliability were perceived as strengths, waiting conditions had the largest negative performance gap (–0.814), highlighting a critical area for improvement. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to rank policy interventions, with experts assigning the highest priority to increasing bus frequency (49.06%) over implementing a single ticketing system and relocating bus stops. Overall, the findings confirm that enhancing service frequency, improving operational reliability, and simplifying fare systems are essential strategies to strengthen multimodal integration and encourage greater use of public transport in Bengaluru.