Commuter perceptions of certain public transport peak-hour performance characteristics are quantified for samples of car-owning public transport users and car users in six randomly selected areas of the Dublin conurbation. The existence of roadside survey data (for buses) and timetables (for trains) has permitted an analysis of the degree of distorted perception of in-vehicle times, waiting times, and costs. Results show that the use of objective performance data on public transport modes in urban transportation planning models needs to be questioned, as actual times and costs seldom reflect the subjective images of commuters.
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