University students' attitudes towards using public transport to and from university: exploring attitude change strategies

According to the NSW Department ofInfrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources' (DIPNR) "Metropolitan Strategy Discussion Paper" an average of 76% of all trips are made by private vehicle, with less than 20% of trips being made by public transport in the general community. A successful solution to this imbalance is the "Travel Smart" program, which was initiated by the Western Australian Government and has since been adapted to various other metropolitan areas in both Australia and overseas. A preliminary investigation has been undertaken to determine the likely acceptance and feasibility of a similar program being implemented at a regional Australian University that is currently experiencing traffic congestion and parking problems. This paper addresses some of the issues which face public transport providers when trying to promote a service which is much-maligned in the media and by the public as being inefficient, unreliable and costly. By combining the results of the exploratory research with knowledge of current marketing theories on attitude change this paper examines opportunities for providers and other stakeholders to better promote the usage of public transport networks and services.