Process and determinants of mobility decisions – A holistic and dynamic travel behaviour framework

Countries/cities worldwide are constantly advocating efforts to improve living standards of the country/city, with many aiming to implement/enhance sustainable mobility by promoting usage of mass public transport services, and active modes of transport such as walking and cycling. Active modes of transport have the capability of reducing negative effects of motorisation while providing benefits for individuals and the society. Transport planning is related to travel demand, which is enmeshed within travel behaviour. As users shift from their conventional modes to public or active modes, it is important to understand factors that drive travel behaviour changes. Thus, it is timely to review and possibly expand established travel behaviour theories. In this paper, 29 theories/frameworks are reviewed and a holistic and dynamic “Process and Determinants of Mobility Decisions (PDMD)” framework is introduced. Most existent theories/frameworks lack dynamism thereby making it hard to adapt them to specific travel contexts. To illustrate the dynamic element, examples from two contrasting contexts are presented, mainly Singapore and Asunción, in highlighting usage and application of the PDMD (e.g. developing survey instruments, analysis of polices, and demand analysis). This paper is deemed of aid for researchers and planners to gain a deeper understanding regarding travel behaviour, while such knowledge can be applied to measure travel demand and assessment of factors pertinent to the development of transport policies and programmes.