Attitudinal barriers to mobility integration in Bengaluru

In 2050, urban areas are expected to house over 50% of the world’s population. On account of such a significant rural-urban exodus and migration between and within areas, the transportation sector across the globe is overwhelmed. This is certainly the case in Bengaluru, the “Silicon Valley of India”. Sustainable mobility transitions are the need of the hour, and so Mobility Integration strategies are being hotly debated. But implementing the same without correctly estimating the needs and demands of commuters will not produce the desired output. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of the consumer attitudes shaping mobility behaviour, would put policy makers in a better position to implement more plausible and accurate mobility measures to improve and meet transportation requirements. Consequently, the main objective of this study is to identify the most significant attitudinal barriers to mobility integration in Bengaluru. This is done using the Exploratory Factor Analysis technique. A variety of attitudes identified from existing literature and semistructured interviews with industry experts are collated and condensed into the most significant ones. From a descriptive analysis of the collected data along with the Theory of Reasoned Action, how these attitudes pose a barrier is described. Moreover, a regression analysis of the consumer attitude toward public transportation before and after the construction of the metro deconstructs its impact and helps identify if the metro is the way forward for superior mobility integration. Lastly, a document analysis of commuter attitudes of ride sharing and hailing services which are another popular means of travel, helps with an understanding of whether this will pose a barrier or function as a driver to mobility integration. From this analysis, it is evident that positive attitudes toward private vehicles and ride sharing and hailing, combined with negative attitudes regarding public transportation in the city constitute a significant barrier to mobility integration. Rightfully so, some of the key policy recommendations are inducing positive attitudes regarding public transit and bringing a change to the overtly positive attitudes regarding private vehicles and ride sharing and hailing in the city. This will help orient consumer attitudes in favour of public transit which is the central aspect of mobility integration.