Jun-2021

Study into the influences on digital payments in the EU. Research finds that level of digital payments is dependent on the degree of mobile device usage as well as the level of financial inclusion provided through electronic banking services. 

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Jun-2024

Using smart card data, study aims to analyse user behaviour to determine how users may begin to transition away from bus user. Study notes that users first decrease travel frequency before transitioning to irregular travel patterns. Study recommends retention policies such as tiered usage incentives and personalised communication strategies, aimed at different stages of the user life cycle. 

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Jun-2017

Study intended to understand what influences the adoption of mobile payments in public transport. Study conducted on medium and large sized metropolitan areas (Oporto, Portugal and Beijing, China). Research finds that systems are generally widely accepted by residents, although cannot fully replace traditional systems. Nonetheless, it can improve efficiency, reduce operational and maintenance costs and increase time savings. Privacy, reliability and interaction are the main concerns against adopting mobile payments. 

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Jun-2017

Paper presents a concept for an integrated mobile payment, route planning and social network platform for public transport. The concept aims to incorporate various features together to improve transport user experiences. The concept was tested in Porto, Portugal using a mobile app called OneRide. Results showed that users found the app to be highly valuable, with some users taking time to adapt to the concept. 

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Dec-2024

Study concerning attitudes towards service limitations, safety concerns and technological improvements through a demographic lens. The research finds that East Charlotte residents and women face limited routes and longer wait times, black and East Charlotte residents have higher concerns about safety, there are privacy concerns among wealthier and infrequent users and there is strong preference for technological improvements, especially among infrequent users. 

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May-2025

Study investigates the impact of a mobile app on bus ridership in San Antonio, Texas. Study used random effect regression models to analyse the transit app influence on ridership between 2015 and 2019, accounting for various alternative ridership influences such as fare changes, route characteristics, weather, socioeconomic conditions and the price of petrol. Research found that the app had a positive impact on ridership for infrequent routes, but had less of an impact on frequent services. 

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Sep-2022

Study into the features of mobile ticketing applications used by train operators in the United States. Study compared the applications through four categories: the ticket validation process, ticket types offered in the app, additional features in the app and the process for transferring to other modes using the app. 

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Nov-2025

Study into the adoption of digital payments for public transportation in developing cities. The study analyses and evaluates the factors influencing the adoption of of digital payments. Results found that prior use of transport, type of phone owned, internet availability and age have a significant impact on likelihood to use digital payments. 

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Jul-2023

Study providing and overview of transit apps used by various transit agencies in the United States. The researchers conducted interviews with 21 transport industry leaders, and synthesized perceived benefits and costs to transit apps. The study identifies five existing business models and emerging trends of transit apps and aims to improve transit app knowledge and provide practical recommendations for future improvements. 

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May-2022

Literature review into the studies concerning end-user benefits of transit apps for use on smartphones. Study covered the time period between 2010 and 2020. The study identified three categories of user benefits: Perception and psychological changes, time savings on trips, and travel behaviour changes. The review found that transit apps had the capability to improve perceptions of transport reliability and safety, reduce anxiety, reduce wait times and boost ridership. The study recommends future studies to adopt more rigorous study designs and methods, to study infrequent and non-riders, to consider the captive users (e.g. rural users who rely on infrequent transport services)and to make more use of empirical evidence to quantify benefits of public sector transport apps.

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Oct-2016

Report advocating for policy and investment in bus transport, aiming to demonstrate the societal improvements it can induce. The report uses research from KPMG and the Institute from Transport Studies, which claims that for every £1 of investment in local bus services, £7 can be delivered in net economic benefit. Furthermore, the research notes the existing benefit buses provide, such as: being the primary mode of accessing city centres, getting 3.5 million people into work and allowing for the creation of more than £64bn worth of goods and services. 

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Jul-2020

Report presents new analysis into how to improve the economic, environmental and social value derived from bus services. The report suggests that with £3bn (£1bn from the zero-emission vehicles, £2bn from the government's 2020 grant for public transport improvements) services could be improved so that areas which are currently falling behind could meet the same patronage levels as the current best-performing areas. 

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May-2016

Report containing a variety of recommendations towards making significant improvements to Britain's bus services. Report ultimately recommends: requiring local transport authorities (LTAs) to make improvements to bus services, giving LTAs to re-regulate bus services, to encourage franchising agreements, to encourage efficient and fair industrial relations, to allow the creation of competitive municipal bus providers, to expand the role of LTAs, and to improve bus funding via increased spending, streamlining and devolution. 

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Jul-2017

Study considering the value for money of local bus services, evaluating types of bus intervention (i.e. concessionary use, bus service operator grant) to determine, using a consistent framework, an assessment of these policies from a environmental, social and economic value perspective. Report concludes that investment in bus services provides significant value, both for other road users, and wider communities. Additionally, the report advocates for investment in interventions which improve the attractiveness of public transport via fare reductions or service improvements. 

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Dec-2014

Study explores integrated urban smart ticketing in the context of EU transport policy. The study aims to highlight to conflict in objectives held by operators, governments and users. Emphasises that e-ticketing only makes up a part of an effective transport system.

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Mar-2021

A study in the factors that have impacted local bus demand, also looks into how these could increase demand. Factors investigated are: fares, service frequencies, journey time, car ownership and use, competing or complementary relationships with other modes and overall user experience. The report also looks into three case studies in Wales.

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Feb-2022

Study concerning how a cross-operator revenue sharing integrated ticketing service might function. Study highlights the difficulty in finding a system which all operators could agree on. Study presents a solution (Beep4Me) which aims to automate the process of ticket validation and solve issues with other methods of revenue sharing.  

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Mar-2018

Policy proposal advocating for fare-free buses, funded by a public transport payroll levy. The paper runs through a variety of case studies showcasing the feasibility of fareless public transport. Suggests that funding this proposal would be highly feasible as public money already accounts for 40% of bus operator revenue.

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Apr-2019

Research into the demographics of the users of smartcards on the Metro Manilla Light Rail Transit Line. Study finds that groups with higher levels of education and a stable income/job are more likely to use a smart card, and that those with lower levels of education and an unstable income/job are more likely to use a single journey ticket. Additionally, the study considers the impact of the 'sachet economy' - in which goods are purchased in smaller quantities more frequently with the goal of more effective budgeting. This may explain why many lower income users prefer single journey tickets. The study suggests the consideration of this culture to produce smart ticketing solutions for lower income groups.

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Dec-2018

Research into the level of convenience for ticketing types used by public transport systems. The study develops a method of quantifying ticket convenience and concludes that methods of ticketing that make use of contactless bank cards are more convenient than traditional smart ticketing technologies. 

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