Demand for travel information: what, when and how much is required by urban travellers

Abstract

Advanced Traveller Information Service (ATIS) systems play a critical role in travel planning; however, relatively little is known about people’s overall information needs in urban areas. This study aims to understand what types of information are usually needed by urban travellers, and to what extent the information is required at different stages of the trip. A two-stage approach, combining exploratory factor analysis with ordered probit is implemented to analyze multi-dimensional and inter-related information alternatives. An empirical analysis was conducted using a survey of 253 face-to-face interviews, collected in 2015in Chengdu, China. The results indicate that demand is generally higher for public transport/road usage and real- time information. Travellers’ information needs also vary significantly across types, timing of acquisition and population segments. The findings suggest that merging and providing high quality information relating to travel time saving and unknown eliminating in a single digital app is likely to deliver greater commercial opportunities to information/mobility service providers. The implications for policy and travel demand management are also provided.