Factors influencing the parental decision of their children’s commuting mode to and from school in Lima (Peru)

The rise in private motorized commuting trips to school have negative consequences on children's health and their attitudes towards sustainable mobility, and adverse effects on the environment and urban congestion, implying decreased active modes of commuting and decreasing reliance on public transport. In Peru, specifically in Lima, children’s trips to school could be a considerable contributor to traffic congestion at peak hours (Tom Tom, 2022) and therefore impact urban planning and sustainable mobility. The main objective of the research was to identify the factors that influence parent`s decision on commuting mode to school in the city of Lima (Peru). By controlling variables as distance to school and type of school (public or private), other factors like parent`s safety perceptions on mobility may take a relevant role in this decision. This research proposes to apply a methodology based a quantitative approach considering that the data required to achieve the objective of the research was either non-existent or insufficient, therefore the research strategy selected was a survey. To intend achieving data triangulation, it was employed mixed-methods of research by integrating quantitative and qualitative instruments. The quantitative instrument selected was a questionnaire and the qualitative ones were focus groups with survey respondents and semi-structured interviews with practitioners of the city of Lima specialized in urban mobility and urban form. The research findings suggests that mid-high income groups' perceptions of traffic safety have a moderate effect on their children's school travel mode choice. Higher perceptions of traffic safety, which means perceptions of a safer traffic environment on the journey to school, make them less likely to select private motorized modes and more likely to select active modes. In low-income groups, traffic safety perceptions were not found as drivers for deciding on commuting mode to school. Perceived social safety was not found relevant to predict the selection of commuting modes to school in in neither of the two types of schools. Moreover, for this study income level have been found a relevant factor in the decision of the commuting mode to school. Further research can propose income level a relevant factor for predicting the commuting mode to school for context such as Lima. The research also raises the question of policy in shaping urban development and the availability of education facilities across lima.