Car pollution is a problem in the Netherlands, specifically, the Randstad area. The Randstad area is highly populated and important for the economy. Because of the air polluting effects of the car, the government promotes travelling by public transport. Therefore, it is important to know why people travel with public transport. One of the reasons could be the student travel card, because people get familiar with public transport and might use public transport more often later in life. The following research question will be investigated in this paper: Does the student travel card have an influence on later public transport use among alumni? Previous research about public transport led to various factors that determines the use of public transport. These factors include the proximity of public transport, from home and the destination. Furthermore, waiting times, travel time and income have an influence. Where public transport is seen as an inferior good, meaning that when income increases, the use of public transport decreases. Finally, past behaviour has an influence on current use of public transport, because it enhances the habit. Data for the analysis is collected via online surveys. The survey contains questions about the use of public transport during college, and nowadays. Respondents are alumni who did not own the student travel card and the alumni who did. With help of an ordered logistic regression, the effect of the student travel card on travel behaviour will be examined. The results show a positive significant effect of the student travel card on current travel behaviour. However, it also shows that having a car at the disposal has a stronger negative effect. In conclusion, the student travel card has an influence on later travel behaviour with public transport. However, the car is still a dominant factor in the choice of transportation mode. Familiarity is not solely effective to increase the use of public transport. To promote public transport more, the cost of public transport must decrease, or the cost of car use must increase.

G. Mingardo
hdl.handle.net/2105/47797
Business Economics
Erasmus School of Economics

Alyssa Tournier. (2019, August 14). The effect of the student travel card on later travel behaviour.. Business Economics. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2105/47797