Analyzing Willingness to Shift to Proposed Metro Rail System for Work Trips: A Case of New Baneshwor and Radhe Radhe

Abstract

With the increasing population in Kathmandu, there seem to be challenging mobility issues. Low occupancy and unregulated services of public vehicles have resulted in more private vehicles on the road. As such, in the last few decades, the number of new vehicles in the city has tripled, adding to the traffic volume and traffic congestion. Thus, the city needs efficient and reliable public transportation that would encourage walkable communities and transit-oriented development while lowering fuel consumption, reducing dependency on private vehicles, and reducing traffic congestion and pollution. Various studies on Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) are being conducted to solve these problems. This study examines the rarely studied yet crucial element—the perspective of potential users. Using the Stated Preference survey, the willingness to shift of 200 respondents in the proposed metro station location at New Baneshwor and Radhe Radhe was conducted through direct interviews. The results suggest that about two-thirds of the respondents were willing to shift to the metro. The study has discovered intriguing relationships between willingness to shift and factors including income, distance, mode of transportation, and origin and destination. Findings from the study revealed that the respondents willing to shift were mainly those with trip distance more than 2 km; high and medium-income groups; commuting by ride-sharing, private and public vehicle users; while those unwilling to shift were those commuting less than 2 km; low-income group; and those commuting on foot or cycle.