Convenience, flexible service, and commute impedance as the predictors of drivers’ intention to switch and behavioral readiness to use public transport

This research was prompted by the underutilization of public transport (PT) and a gap in the relationship between intention and behavior. A research model was developed based on the theory of interpersonal behavior (TIB, Triandis, 1980) to identify the predictors of drivers’ intention to switch from car driving to PT and their behavioral readiness to use PT. The sample of drivers (n = 317) was solicited from Malaysia using web based survey (SoGoSurvey). Results from the structural equation modeling of partial least square (PLS-SEM) show the significant associations between convenience, flexible service, commute impedance, and the intention to switch. Whereas, the intention to switch serves as the primary predictor of the behavioral readiness to use PT. Practical implications are discussed and pragmatic intervention programs proposed to target improvement in the drivers’ behavioral readiness to use PT.