In July 2024, Transapp’s R&D leader, Jacqueline Arriagada Fernández, participated in the 17th International Conference on Travel Behavior Research (IATBR) held in Vienna, Austria. During this event, she presented her innovative research titled «Incorporating the inertia effect into a route choice model using fare transaction data from a large-scale public transport network», which focuses on how passenger habits influence route choices when a new transportation alternative is introduced.
The study revealed that, in the initial weeks following a change in the transportation system, passengers exhibit strong inertia toward their usual routes, a behavior that diminishes over time. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining effective communication about new transportation alternatives for at least two months after their implementation.
Among the study's key conclusions is that reinforcing communication and providing accessible information about new routes can accelerate passengers’ adaptation to changes in the transportation system, reducing resistance to change. Furthermore, the research suggests that incentive strategies and personalized information can play a crucial role in encouraging passengers to explore and adopt new travel alternatives.
The conference, organized by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, brought together international experts to discuss changes in travel patterns and new methodologies to understand and model user behavior. Among the topics addressed, the need to identify factors that drive transformative behavior change was emphasized as essential to achieving sustainability goals such as reducing CO2 emissions and creating carbon-neutral cities.
Arriagada’s research not only contributes to the theoretical knowledge in this field but also provides practical tools for public transport authorities to improve user experience and promote more sustainable travel decisions.
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