ABSTRACT

Transit apps are cost-efficient strategies to facilitate transit use. This study is the first systematic review that synthesises the literature on these apps’ end-user benefits. We identified limitations in the existing knowledge in terms of study methods, population, and scopes. This review offers insights to guide researchers and policymakers to unlock the potential of transit apps in promoting the use and experience of public transit. We conducted the literature searches in August 2020, covering studies published between 2010 and 2020 from TRID, Compendex, Business Source Ultimate Ebsco, and Acad Search Ultimate Ebsco. Articles were screened and reviewed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In total, 13 out of 3,812 articles met our pre-specified eligibility criteria. We identified key user benefits in three domains: perception and psychological changes, time savings on trips, and travel behaviour changes. These studies found that smartphone transit apps may improve the perceived reliability of transit services, increase perceived safety, reduce anxiety while waiting, and build a positive image of transit. Also, transit apps could help users reduce wait time at transit stops. Studies further reported that smartphone transit apps have the potential to boost ridership. After critically assessing the articles, we recommended future studies to improve study designs, adjust study populations, and expand study scopes. First, future studies about travel behaviour impacts would need to adopt more rigorous study designs and methods. Second, more studies about infrequent riders and non-riders are needed. Third, current studies have not paid enough attention to the important subgroup of captive riders, such as riders in rural areas who rely on infrequent and unreliable transit services. Fourth, more empirical evidence is needed to quantify the impacts of public sector transit apps. Trip planning and mobile ticketing functions of transit apps are overlooked. Fifth, the established theoretical framework about travel behaviours and emerging technologies could serve as solid theoretical bases and would need to be integrated into future research designs.

摘要

公交应用程序是促进公交使用的具有成本效益的策略。这项研究是第一个综合了有关这些应用程序最终用户利益的文献的系统评价。我们确定了现有知识在研究方法、人群和范围方面的局限性。这篇评论提供了指导研究人员和政策制定者释放公共交通应用程序在促进公共交通使用和体验方面的潜力的见解。我们于 2020 年 8 月进行了文献检索，涵盖了 TRID、Compendex、Business Source Ultimate Ebsco 和 Acad Search Ultimate Ebsco 于 2010 年至 2020 年间发表的研究。文章根据系统评价和元分析 (PRISMA) 指南的首选报告项目进行筛选和审查。总共有 3,812 篇文章中有 13 篇符合我们预先指定的资格标准。我们确定了三个领域的关键用户利益：感知和心理变化、旅行时间节省和旅行行为改变。这些研究发现，智能手机公交应用程序可以提高公交服务的感知可靠性，提高感知安全性，减少等待时的焦虑，并树立公交的积极形象。此外，公交应用程序可以帮助用户减少在公交站点的等待时间。研究进一步报告称，智能手机交通应用程序有可能增加乘客量。在对文章进行严格评估后，我们建议未来的研究改进研究设计、调整研究人群和扩大研究范围。首先，未来关于旅行行为影响的研究需要采用更严格的研究设计和方法。其次，需要更多关于不常骑手和非骑手的研究。第三，目前的研究没有对受保骑手这一重要亚群给予足够的重视，例如依赖不频繁和不可靠的公交服务的农村骑手。第四，需要更多的经验证据来量化公共部门交通应用程序的影响。交通应用程序的行程计划和移动票务功能被忽视。第五，关于旅行行为和新兴技术的既定理论框架可以作为坚实的理论基础，需要整合到未来的研究设计中。交通应用程序的行程计划和移动票务功能被忽视。第五，关于旅行行为和新兴技术的既定理论框架可以作为坚实的理论基础，需要整合到未来的研究设计中。交通应用程序的行程计划和移动票务功能被忽视。第五，关于旅行行为和新兴技术的既定理论框架可以作为坚实的理论基础，需要整合到未来的研究设计中。