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This introductory paper to the Special Issue “Shared Mobility” aims (1) to present and differentiate the diversity of practices and services that constitute the shared mobility sector; (2) to emphasize the contribution of each published article; and (3) to identify knowledge gaps of knowledge and provide further research avenues. With the contribution from 29 authors affiliated to social sciences and transportation research institutions in seven countries (Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Norway, and Australia), new understandings of the potential, drivers, barriers, and limitations of diverse shared mobility solutions for a more sustainable society are presented. The common message across the special issue is that the shared mobility sector is constantly evolving, while aiming to attain sustainability goals. Several papers have taken a psychological approach to explain the adoption of shared mobility practices (e.g., carsharing), yet these findings may be context-dependent, which future research should further investigate (e.g., differences between platform-based and self-service modes). We also call for researchers to pay attention to how traditional transit services can be combined with newer shared mobility services (e.g., micro-mobility), but also to informal public transport systems, as we identify these as important developing areas.

In this paper, we argue that the current focus on cycling must not neglect the need to improve public transport services for the large number of people who do not want to or are unable to cycle. An ...

Previous findings have established that satisfaction with public transport service quality attributes (reliability/functionality, information, courtesy/simplicity, comfort, safety) relate to overall travel satisfaction. Recent studies propose that the importance of these attributes for travel satisfaction varies in different contexts and call for new approaches for enhancing the understanding of these relationships. We address this call by using a configurational perspective and applying fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), to explore how satisfaction with service quality attributes relate to high travel satisfaction. By analyzing user survey data before and after an intervention in public transport services in a Swedish city, we: 1) find that high travel satisfaction occurs in the interaction between service quality attributes; 2) identify different configurations of satisfaction with service quality attributes leading to high travel satisfaction; and 3) show how context alters overall travel satisfaction. We conclude that using a configurational approach is useful for understanding the complexity of travel satisfaction.

This research aims to revive the applicability of the exchange concept in the marketing domain. The authors draw on current exchange theories to show how members of an aquatic center receive relational, social support, and restorative resources from other center members and employees. They then empirically demonstrate that members’ loyalty to the center is fueled by the resources they receive from others in the center and that their experience in the center mediates the relationship between exchanged resources and member loyalty. This research reveals that service organizations may foster person-place bonds by providing customers with resources over and above goods and services. Customers appreciate resources that transform their well-being, such as social support and natural, restorative resources, and they demonstrate loyalty to places where they can obtain therapeutic resources. From a theoretical standpoint, this work shows support for the notion that the exchange concept is a foundational aspect of a general theory of marketing and explains how the exchange and value concepts in marketing are linked together.

How to drive modal shift is one of the primary issues in creating a sustainable society. By encouraging people to migrate from private car use to public transport, city planners can prepare for a super-aged society, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigate negative externalities of private car use such as congestion, accidents, and noise. To achieve these goals, city planners are required to understand whether public transport usage can be increased by improving the service quality and what roles user satisfaction and loyalty play in the process. The relations between service quality, user satisfaction, loyalty, and user frequency have been studied for a long time. However, most of the studies are based on cross-sectional analysis. Cross-sectional analysis is less powerful in detecting causality as it does not show pre–post relations or lagged effects between variables. To investigate causal and non-simultaneous relations among quality, satisfaction, loyalty, and user frequency of public transport, we used data of the Benchmarking in European Service of Public Transport survey from 2001 to 2015 in four European cities, and applied vector auto regressive (VAR) analysis. The result shows that improvement of service quality has positive effects on user’s satisfaction, loyalty, and user frequency and that better satisfaction leads to higher loyalty and user frequency. More importantly, the result also shows that behavioral modification (change in user frequency) occurs with time lag while psychological modifications (changes in satisfaction and loyalty) occur immediately after changes in service quality. The findings suggest that city/transport planners ought to keep improving the service quality of public transport and monitoring the achievement from a long-term perspective.

Contemporary research linking children’s daily travel with the psychological and cognitive domains of wellbeing is emerging. In this chapter, we explore these two domains of wellbeing by reviewing the literature to see how the domains are operationalized, and what the empirical findings claim. One major aim is to reflect upon where research has taken us, and to identify what future research needs to focus on. Findings show that psychological measures include a large palette of measurements, for example, mood, wellbeing (sometimes operationalized as life satisfaction or happiness), travel satisfaction, independency, and confidence, which are all related to travel. Measures related to the cognitive domain can be categorized as either academic achievement or cognitive abilities, also identified as being affected by travel. Only three studies were identified as capturing the relationship between travel and both domains of wellbeing. One conclusion which we draw is that, although the findings are still somewhat anecdotal and in need of replication, researchers in this emerging field have indeed acknowledged the importance of examining the psychological and cognitive domains of wellbeing when it comes to studying children’s everyday travel. We also find that the studies reviewed have applied a plethora of methods and measures, making it somewhat difficult to generalize the findings. We therefore emphasize that we must constantly ask ourselves if we are measuring the relevant factors, and if we are measuring them in a valid way.

This book adopts a cross-disciplinary approach on the relationships between transport and children’s wellbeing by bringing together a series of works by authors from a variety of disciplinary orientations (e.g., urban planning, geography, psychology, transport engineering, and public health). The book’s breadth and diversity convey an inclusive view of the complex nature of transport and children’s wellbeing. This closing chapter provides a brief overview of and summarizes some important evidence in this field. We point to gaps in knowledge and diagnose difficulties that will provide a roadmap for future research and practice.

Mobility as a service (MaaS), in this case study, involves the integration of different travel modes into a mutual service that handles bookings and payments for individual trips. In this chapter, the authors discuss how a public transport authority has developed a MaaS for rural areas by integrating a public transport service with carpooling. The project's development, the platform's functionality, ideas for future development, and experiences of the service are analyzed from both a management and a user perspective. One overall conclusion reached is that public transport may very well develop and offer MaaS; however, there are a number of barriers to overcome concerning the legal aspects, changed travel behaviors, and density.

Introduction The aim of the present study was to examine differences in public transport use, quality perceptions, and travel satisfaction and their relation to life satisfaction across five generations. Methods Self-report questionnaires (online or by phone) were collected from 3257 respondents (aged 16–90) with varying degree of public transport use, across five cities in northern Europe (Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen, Bergen). The data were analyzed in three steps: (i) explorative using Kruskal-Wallis Anovas, (ii) conceptual model testing using PLS-SEM, and (iii) analyses of generational differences regarding public transport quality dimensions, travel satisfaction and life satisfaction through Analyses of variance. Results In line with our hypothesis and previous research, we find that satisfaction with travel had a positive relationship with life satisfaction, showing once again the importance of acknowledging people's travel satisfaction. Levels of satisfaction linearly increased with generation, but the effect of travel on life satisfaction did not, thus indicating that travel satisfaction is equally important to all. Security/safety was furthermore an important quality attribute directly related to both satisfaction with travel and to life satisfaction. We observed, using multigroup analyses, that the youngest generations are very similar with respect to the importance of quality attributes. People in these generations also travel frequently and have active lifestyles, and are hence very dependent on the transport system. Conclusions It is concluded that, we need to improve travel experiences and emphasize secure and safe travel, especially for the young, as this is related to their life satisfaction.

In this chapter, we provide an introduction to the topic and a brief overview of Quality of Life and Daily Travel. A short background of why it is relevant to study travel and wellbeing, along with definitions and concepts related to quality of life research – such as objective and subjective outcomes, and hedonic and eudaimonic outcomes – will be followed by an overview of the chapters of the book arranged in three parts: theoretical perspectives and conceptualizations, case studies, and future directions. The aim of this book, Quality of Life and Daily Travel, is to compile current knowledge into one edited volume, where several areas of research are integrated – including traffic and transport psychology, transport planning and engineering, transport geography, transport economics, consumer services, and wellbeing research – in order to discuss the various facets of the links between travel and wellbeing. The importance of mobility, accessibility, experiences and emotions for the wellbeing of people will be highlighted.

Recent research suggests that travellers’ anticipated trip utility may differ from the utility they actually experience when making the trip. This implies that it is important to investigate not only the factors underlying trip decision making, but also the actual experience of the trip. To that end, this paper presents an empirical test of the satisfaction with travel scale (STS) that was developed to measure travellers’ satisfaction with travel. STS measures travel satisfaction in terms of two affective (positive activation versus negative de-activation and positive de-activation versus negative activation) and one cognitive dimension. The STS was applied in the Netherlands in a survey of car users. The results suggest that the reliability of the measurement scales is satisfactory to good, and that they are indicative of an overarching concept of travel satisfaction. Regression analyses carried out with the three STS dimensions as dependent variables show that STS is influenced by experienced traffic safety, annoyance with other road users, the trip being tiring, being distracted by billboards, and lack of freedom to choose speed and lane. In addition, travel purpose and personal characteristics play a role. Overall, the findings provide support for the validity of the STS as a tool to measure satisfaction with travel. It is concluded that using tools such as STS may provide relevant insights into how qualitative and design-related factors influence the attractiveness of trips made by car or other travel modes.

The transport sector presents contentious issues with respect to sustainable development, particularly regarding the use of private motorised vehicles in urban areas. Public transport (PT) together with cycling and walking are generally agreed to be sustainable alternatives to private car use. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of those aspects of PT quality most likely to attract car users. Toward achieving this aim, relevant research was sought to answer the following two questions: What quality attributes of PT services are attractive to users? And what changes in quality attributes of PT services would encourage modal shift from private motor vehicles to PT? Using a qualitative systematic review, it is concluded that while service reliability and frequency are important PT attributes in general, those attributes most effective in attracting car users are largely affective and connected to individual perceptions, motivations and contexts. Reduced fare promotions and other habit-interrupting transport policy measures can succeed in encouraging car users to try PT services initially. Attributes over and above basic accessibility, reliability and mobility provision, perceived by the target market as important service attributes, must then be provided in sustaining the switch from car use after promotional tactics have expired.

In an experimental simulation employing 123 undergraduates the effect of different travel modes on satisfaction with travel, mood after the day traveled, and satisfaction with the day as a whole we ...

Evaluations carried out in many countries show that soft policy measures in the form of personalized travel planning reduce private car use and increase travel by public transport. Sweden is a sparsely populated country that poorly supports public transport, a country with long distances, a cold climate, and a high concentration of private cars, which is why soft policy measures implemented in Sweden may be less cost-effective than has been found in other countries. Thirty-two programs using personalized travel planning were analysed with regard to stewardship, geographic area of application, choice of techniques of exerting an influence, and effects on car use and choice of alternative travel modes. None of the evaluations of the documented programs met the method requirements for such evaluations as regards design and effect measurement. Additionally, reporting was substandard as well as non-standard in the way that is desirable in order to enable comparative analyses. With reservations for these shortcomings, it is inferred that positive effects on a par with the results in other countries have been obtained in some of the implemented programs. It is however necessary to conduct evaluations which are of higher quality. The requirements which will then have to be applied are defined.

Satisfaction measures obtained from citizens are frequently used in performancebased contracts due to their presumed link with company performance. However, few studies have actually examined the l ...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not emotions experienced in customer relationships – linked to actual behavior – could enhance understanding of their future development.Design/methodology/approachA number of individual‐level relationships between customers and telecom operators are investigated. The empirical data consist of 113 switching stories reported during 81 interviews with telecom customers.FindingsIn the analysis, emotional experiences are related to customers' activity or passivity and to the stability (switching or not) in the relationships. The most important research contribution is the identification of different emotions related to actual behavior. Less stable customers are pessimistic about the operators and show nervousness, while stable customers may have initially been depressed in their relationships, becoming more relaxed and optimistic over time. Emotions do not seem to have the capacity in themselves to cause stability or instability, but they confirm through their connection to different types of trigger whether the relationship will be stable or unstable.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the present study are based on a longitudinal empirical study, but only in one industry. Although, the telecom industry may provide a very fruitful context for the longitudinal study of stability in customer relationships because of the turbulence it has experienced during the last decade, the industry representation is narrow.Practical implicationsCustomers do not sever their emotional ties with the previous relationship when they enter the new one. On the contrary, they linger in the switched‐from relationship at least at first, which is indicated in the various emotional expressions they use. The present study takes some initial steps towards enhancing understanding of the dynamism in providing an insight into customers' differing emotional reactions connected to triggers during one and the same relationship.Originality/valueTaking a longitudinal approach from the customers' perspective produces a set boundaries of customer relationships that may not coincide with the set boundaries seen from the service providers' perspective. According to the findings of the present study, it seems almost impossible to understand customer relationships without following customers on an individual level in both previous and current relationships. Despite the fact that dynamism in customer relationships is widely discussed in previous research, few studies have applied such a perspective.

As public transit companies market new self-service technologies, it has become increasingly important to understand the factors affecting the users’ perceived quality of these services. Electronic Service Quality has been broadly defined as encompassing all phases of a customer’s interaction with a website. The E-S-QUAL scale comprises 4 dimensions. This paper examines the importance of 3 of the suggested quality dimensions (efficiency, system availability, fulfillment) for overall satisfaction when using information-based websites. A survey was conducted with respondents being asked to use and evaluate an existing website delivering public transit information in their region. Results reveal efficiency (addressing the ease and speed of using the site) was most important for overall satisfaction. It is also concluded that a modified E-S-QUAL scale is appropriate for this purpose as it was possible to adapt it to a pure service-related website.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide directions for future research on: broadening the role of customers in customer experience; taking a practice-based approach to customer experience; and recognizing the holistic, dynamic nature of customer experience across all touch points and over time. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is conceptual identifying current gaps in research on customer experience. Findings – The findings include a set of research questions and research agenda for future research on customer experience. Originality/value – This research suggests fresh perspectives for understanding the customer experience which can inspire future research and advance theory and managerial practice.

The present study addresses two questions: (1) what effect do quality improvements have on satisfaction with public transport services? (2) What effect do quality improvements have on passengers perceived frequency of negative critical incidents? A representative sample of persons aged 16-75 years old in the thirteen regions in Sweden conducting quality improvements in public transport were used. Data were collected before it started and also after the improvements had been completed (n=2797). The pre-and post samples consisted of independent groups of respondents. The response rate was 54%. The main conclusion of the study is that the satisfaction people experience when using public transport services is influenced by quality improvements only to a limited extent. Furthermore, the effect was directionally opposite in that the respondents reported less satisfaction and higher frequencies of negative critical incidents after the quality improvements had been implemented

Background Recent research on travel has theoretically and empirically explained how everyday travel contributes to people’s life satisfaction. Most of these studies have been conducted with adults and mainly focused on the commute to work, with little known about how travel might affect children’s life satisfaction. Children and young people also travel on a daily basis to destinations such as school, but their choices are often mediated by their parent(s) or guardians. As well, in many cases they are escorted (e.g. an adult takes them) so their sense of control over such choices is likely diminished. Children (under the legal driving age) cannot operate a motorized vehicle, so their choice set for independent travel is in most cases smaller than adults. We would argue that both public health policies and school policies should be informed by research showing what factors influence children’s life satisfaction. Despite transport being a fundamental part of most children’s lives, how it might affect life satisfaction is currently unknown. Methods The data for this research comes from Canada, Japan, and Sweden. The surveys were distributed at public elementary schools. In total, 529 participant responses (184 in Canada, 189 in Japan, 156 in Sweden) were kept for this research. Simultaneous equation modelling was used to account for the various interactions possible between socio-demographics, independent mobility, travel attributes, social interaction, travel satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Results The results find that satisfaction with travel is associated to life satisfaction and that the possibility of independent travel (i.e. being allowed to travel without an adult) is strongly associated to travel satisfaction (TS), and indirectly to life satisfaction (LS). All modes apart from cycling were negatively associated with travel satisfaction and indirectly with life satisfaction. A negative indirect relationship between females and travel satisfaction was found, though no direct relation was found. The only significant result from the multi-group analyses between the countries were stronger negative associations between public transport frequency with TS and LS for Swedish children than for Canadian and Japanese children. This demonstrates that our findings of the TS-LS relationship and the other results are equally strong across the three countries. Conclusions As a global measure of well-being, the implications suggest that improving satisfaction with travel through greater autonomy can improve life satisfaction for children.

A sample of 200 complaints filed to a public transit company and 210 negative critical incidents (NCIs) obtained from on-board interviews were analyzed with the purpose of inferring perceived service quality (PSQ) attributes of public transit. The most frequent complaints and NCIs concerned employee behavior and punctuality, followed by missing or inaccurate information and inadequate planning. In a follow-up mail survey, a representative sample of 997 respondents reported if they remembered having experienced prototypical NCIs constructed on the basis of the complaints. Confirming the validity of the inferred PSQ attributes, all NCIs were reported to have been experienced by at least some respondents. NCIs related to employee behavior were, however, less frequently remembered whereas those related to vehicle design and space, punctuality, and traffic planning were more frequently remembered. Taken together the results suggest that PSQ attributes in public transit refer to employee behavior, reliability, and simplicity. Finally, inferences made from customer complaints and negative critical incidents are shown to extend our knowledge of perceived service quality attributes in public transit.

We argue that the general public and politicians think more about the short-term individual benefits of travel than they think about the long-term societal costs. One explanation is that they have less knowledge of the latter than they have of the former. Another explanation is that they like people in general are more concerned about their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their close relatives than they are concerned about the well-being of unknown others. Yet, in a democratic society changes towards sustainable travel are not likely to materialize unless people shift their thinking about travel to placing a higher weight on its long-term societal costs than the short-term benefits. Research findings documenting these costs may affect the general public only if they are accurately conveyed by different sources including governments, mass media, producers and providers of travel services, and other people. We identify many current obstacles to this in need to be removed.

Research suggests that for many people happiness is being able to make the routines of everyday life work, such that positive feelings dominate over negative feelings resulting from daily hassles. In line with this, a survey of work commuters in the three largest urban areas of Sweden show that satisfaction with the work commute contributes to overall happiness. It is also found that feelings during the commutes are predominantly positive or neutral. Possible explanatory factors include desirable physical exercise from walking and biking, as well as that short commutes provide a buffer between the work and private spheres. For longer work commutes, social and entertainment activities either increase positive affects or counteract stress and boredom. Satisfaction with being employed in a recession may also spill over to positive experiences of work commutes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11205-012-0003-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The present study provides a transnational comparison of the perceived service satisfaction with public transport in eight European countries. Data was collected from 9,542 respondents in Stockholm, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Geneva, Helsinki, Vienna, Berlin, Manchester, and Oslo. The respondents rated their agreement with 17 attribute-related statements regarding local public transport services. Using factor analysis, this study identifies the four satisfaction dimensions of system, comfort, staff, and safety, which were present in most, but not all of the cities. These findings indicate that there are differences in how public transport is perceived. This needs to be addressed in order to make comparison meaningful. Different explanations for these diverse findings are discussed.

So far the focus in research on service quality has been mainly on the cognitive dimensions and on quality factors linked to service episodes and critical incidents. However, there is a need to go beyond cognitive assessment (Edvardsson 2005). Quality of service has been defined and measured as the outcome of expected service compared to perceived service as delivered (Brady/Cronin 2001; Parasuraman et al. 1991). “According to the customer-oriented point of view, high service quality is given and received if the expectations of the customers, with respect to the relevant quality attributes, are fulfilled or more than fulfilled. In the supplier-oriented point of view, quality is given if the expectations of the supplier, regarding the fulfillment of defined performance standards, are met” (Stauss/Mang 1999, p. 331). This approach emphasizes cognitive assessment but does not explicitly pay attention to emotions. Furthermore, it is not clear what is meant by service, nor is the relationship context emphasized.