Travel behaviour analysis for elevated mass rapid transit in Bangkok | |
| Author | Athaphon Kawprasert |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. GE-99-28 |
| Subject(s) | Travel--Research--Thailand--Bangkok Local transit--Research--Thailand--Bangkok |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Civil Engineering |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GE-99-28 |
| Abstract | The elevated mass transit railway system had been commenced in Bangkok since December 5, 1999 as to help alleviate the traffic problems and to serve as an alternative means of transportation in the central business district area. To reach such objectives, it is important to study the behaviour of users in order to find appropriate measures for service improvement. The study was carried out based on marketing research approach in which customers' satisfaction had been considered rather than the profit maximisation. The results from the study are divided in two parts. The first part is the results obtained from questionnaire and interview survey, which consist of socio-economic characteristics, trip characteristics, and opinions of mass rapid transit (MRT) users about using the transit system. Major findings are that the majority of users had been shifted from buses, which also serve as a major feeder, MRT significantly reduced travel time while increased travel cost for most users, and two drawbacks of MRT use were its high overall travel cost and limited railway routes. In the second part, the application of linear structural relationship modelling was introduced. The study showed that both objective variables such as socio-economic and trip characteristics and latent variables that cannot be directly observed could be incorporated in a single model. The model, though cannot directly predict the travel demand, has the ability to express the relationships between variables in terms of parameter estimates, which describe how one factor influences or is explained by another factor. The models developed in this study have a good fit, but their reliability is unsatisfied due to the presence of insignificant parameters. The models, however, revealed that MRT waiting time, i.e. headway, is the most significance factor affecting convenience in using MRT, while travel cost is the main factor that induces users' dissatisfaction with MRT use. Based on the results from this study, the implementation of MRT ticket discounts and pricing policies are recommended at the first stage, and an extension of elevated railway lines should be considered for long-term operation. |
| Year | 2000 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GE-99-28 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Civil Engineering |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Geotechnical Engineering (GE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Takahashi, Kiyoshi; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Yordphol Tanaboriboon;Pannapa Herabat; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology 2000 |