Drivers and Barriers to Public Transport Usage: Insights from Psychographic Profiles Using Latent Class Analysis

To achieve climate goals in the transport sector, many countries are trying to promote the use of public transport. However, to implement effective policies, one must understand the motivations of people who use or do not use public transport today. In this study, we examine the psychographic profiles using latent class analysis to identify the reasons why people use or do not use public transport and link these profiles to reported travel behavior. For the latent class analysis, we use selected psychological items of the German Mobility Panel (MOP), a national household travel survey, that capture attitudes toward public transport. The results highlight four classes that differ based on their psychological profiles: PT-Averse, Privacy Aware Environmentalists, Pragmatists, and PT-Lovers. The results further show that Privacy Aware Environmentalists and PT-Lovers, who have a strong personal norm, frequently use public transport and environmentally friendly transport modes. Thus, the personal norm is a driver of public transport use. The lack of privacy, which the Privacy Aware Environmentalists complain about in public transport, is not a barrier to public transport use.